Footnotes have been collected at the end of the text, and are
linked for ease of reference.
Minor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Please
see the transcriber’s note at the end of this text
for details regarding the handling of any textual issues encountered
during its preparation.
The Index includes references to Volume 1, which are linked to that
volume in the Gutenberg repository.
Any corrections are indicated using an underline
highlight. Placing the cursor over the correction will produce the
original text in a small popup.
The cover image was created by adding title page information to a
blank cover and is placed in public domain.
Any corrections are indicated as hyperlinks, which will navigate the
reader to the corresponding entry in the corrections table in the
note at the end of the text.
EIGHTH EDITION
OF THE
JOURNAL OF GEORGE FOX.
Two Volumes, 5/- NET.
With Map, recently prepared to accompany same, 6/6 net.
The Map separately, in case, 2/6 net.
“His life well repays study. It is a rich mine, and every page
of it seems to be solid gold. Books now-a-days are spun out, and
you get little after reading much; but The Journal of George Fox
contains ingots of gold—things to be thought on and that will have
to be thought on month by month before you get at the bottom of
them.”—Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
London: FRIENDS’ TRACT ASSOCIATION.
Sold by Headley Brothers, 14, Bishopsgate Without, E.C.
THE JOURNAL
OF
GEORGE FOX;
BEING AN
HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
OF
HIS LIFE, TRAVELS, SUFFERINGS, AND
CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCES.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. II.
THE EIGHTH (Bi-Centenary) EDITION, reprinted from stereotype plates, with revised and enlarged indexes.
LONDON:
Friends’ Tract Association;
SOLD BY
HEADLEY BROTHERS,
14, BISHOPSGATE STREET WITHOUT, E.C.
1901.
HEADLEY BROTHERS,
PRINTERS,
LONDON; AND AT ASHFORD, KENT.
vNOTICE TO THE READER.
The present issue of The Journal of George Fox has been printed
from the stereotype plates of the Eighth (Bi-Centenary) Edition, slightly
corrected, and has been furnished with additional particulars of
previous editions of The Journal (see pp. 541-544) and with greatly
enlarged Indexes.
To accompany this issue, a map has been prepared to show the
places mentioned in The Journal, the spelling of the names being mostly
taken from the First Edition. This work has necessitated a considerable
amount of research and enquiry in order to identify some of the
more obscure localities referred to by George Fox. It is hardly to be
expected that the positions of all these, after this lapse of time, will
accord with the judgment of all readers, but it is hoped that the map
may promote the intelligent perusal of these volumes.
The Journal may be obtained with or without the map (see advertisement
on page ii.).
Norman Penney,
Hon. Sec. Friends’ Tract Association.
London, 1901.
INTRODUCTION TO THE EIGHTH EDITION.
vi
The following Eighth Edition of The Journal of George Fox, taken
from the Seventh Edition, as prepared by the late Wilson Armistead,
of Leeds, has been carefully read and collated with the original or
First Edition of that Work. And the reader can be confidently
assured, making due allowance for the translation or omission of a few
obsolete expressions, that the Work is now, in truth and substance, the
same as when it was first printed. A large number of corrections in
the spelling of names, and of other chiefly clerical errors, have also
been made, bringing all down, so far as practicable, into harmony with
the usage of the present date in these respects.
Daniel Pickard.
Leeds, 1891.
CONTENTS OF VOL. II.
vii
PAGE.
Chapter I.—1663-1666.—George Fox visits London—taken up at Tenterden and examined by the magistrates, but liberated—travels to the S.W. of England—precious meetings in Wales—at Derwentwater meets with an old woman whose husband was aged 122 years—apprehended and taken before the magistrates at Holker Hall, but liberated on his parole to appear at the sessions—appears accordingly, and is committed to Lancaster jail—many poor Friends imprisoned there at the same time, whose families become chargeable in consequence—one of them (Oliver Atherton) dies in jail, where he was immured by the Countess of Derby for tithes—George Fox has the oath tendered him at the assizes, and is re-committed—Margaret Fell is also imprisoned there—the prisoners in Lancaster jail to Justice Fleming—a brief warning to the same by George Fox—George Fox disputes with Major Wiggan (who was also a prisoner), and confutes him—writes to the judges against giving nicknames—writes a warning to all high professors—also a warning against the spirit of John Perrot—at the assizes he points out many fatal errors in his indictment, and it is quashed in consequence, but the judge ensnares him with the oath, and he is again remanded to prison—suffers much from the badness of the prison—at the next assizes he again points out fatal errors in his indictment, and is immediately hurried away to jail, and sentence is passed on him in his absence—a testimony against tithes—he is removed to Scarbro’ Castle—has several conferences and disputes with divers persons there—writes to the king respecting his imprisonment, and is set at liberty—copy of his discharge and passport—the day after George Fox’s liberation the great fire broke out in London, a vision of which he had in Lancaster Castle—the hand of the Lord turned against persecutors,
viiiChapter II.—1666-1669.—George Fox visits a man above one hundred years old, who had been convinced—refutes a slander that Friends love none but themselves—has a meeting at Captain Taylor’s [at Brighouse], where a neighbouring knight threatens again to imprison him—comes to London, and finds the city in ruins as he had seen it in a vision some years before—is moved to recommend the setting up of monthly meetings to take care of God’s glory, and to admonish and exhort such as walk disorderly—travels through the nation for this purpose—meets with opposition in Huntingdonshire and Bedfordshire—when at Shrewsbury it was rumoured that “the great Quaker of England was come to town“—the hypocrisy of the Presbyterians detected—they and the Independents persecute when in power, but flinch in time of persecution by other powers—George Fox recommends certain regulations to be observed relative to Friends’ marriages—he also recommends the establishment of a school at Waltham for boys, and one at Shacklewell for girls—the meetings for discipline are the means of a great reformation among the people—George Fox discovers a cheat, writes a prophetic warning to Friends—monthly meetings settled throughout the nation—the order and good results thereof—George Fox disputes with a Papist—confers with Esquire Marsh (Justice), and shows him how to distinguish between Friends and other Dissenters who refused the oath—Justice Marsh is afterwards very serviceable to Friends in screening them from suffering, and recommends the king to grant liberty of conscience—fourteen monthly meetings are settled in Yorkshire—Isaac Lindley to George Fox—when at Scarbro’ the governor presses George Fox to accept his hospitality—large and precious meetings,
ixChapter III.—1669-1671.—George Fox sails for Ireland in company with several other Friends—he there sends a challenge to the Popish priests to try their God, which is not accepted—he contrasts them with Baal’s priests—the authorities of Cork threaten him, and issue warrants for his apprehension—he rides publicly through the city, and is seen by the mayor, but not molested—writes to Friends in the ministry there—discourses with professors on election and reprobation—returns to England—a report is spread that George Fox is turned Presbyterian, through a trick to obtain a congregation for John Fox, the Presbyterian, which, however, turns to the advantage of Friends—George Fox is married to Margaret Fell at Bristol—writes to the quarterly meetings about putting children apprentices—Margaret Fox is cast into prison—two of her daughters go to the king, and obtain a promise of their mother’s liberty—on the passing of the Conventicle Act, George Fox writes a declaration against seditious conventicles—writes to Friends to strengthen them in their trials—is apprehended at a meeting in Gracechurch Street—taken before the mayor, who discourses with him and sets him at liberty—visits Friends in Reading jail—undergoes great travail of spirit, loses his sight and hearing, and becomes as a sign—persecution becoming hot, some meeting-houses are pulled down, and Friends are much abused—George Fox endures great mental conflict—the faithfulness of Friends is said by some professors to have preserved the nation from debauchery—George Fox writes an encouraging letter to Friends—as persecution abates he recovers—writes a warning to the rulers of the nation—recommends certain regulations respecting marriage—writes a prayer,
Chapter IV.—1671-1672.—His wife being still detained a prisoner, George Fox puts two women Friends upon going to the king to procure her discharge, which he granted under the broad seal, to clear her person and estate after being a prisoner under premunire ten years—he sails for the plantations in America with several other Friends—chased by a Sallee man-of-war—the master in a strait asks advice of George Fox, who seeks counsel of the Lord, and is assured of their preservation—the event verifies the prediction—they land at Barbadoes, after a seven weeks’ passage—a man in the island, who was greatly incensed against George Fox without just cause, and who had threatened his life, died a few days before his landing—is laid up for some weeks—writes to Friends in England—exhorts Friends to care and watchfulness in regard to marriages, keeping registers, and records, providing burial grounds, &c.—to deal mildly with their negroes, and, after certain years of servitude, to set them free—writes a further exhortation to Friends in England—visits the governor, who is very kind—has many large meetings, and there is a great convincement; Colonel Lyne testifies how much Friends exalt Christ in all his offices beyond what he had ever heard—the priests rage, and try in vain to stir up persecution—there is much clamour and cavilling against Friends, and many slanders and false reports are issued, which George Fox answers in a paper addressed to the governor—the governor visits him—writes to his wife—sails for Jamaica, where he has many meetings, and many are convinced—Elizabeth Hooton dies there,
xChapter V.—1672-1673.—George Fox embarks for Maryland, where he arrives after a seven weeks’ voyage, and having experienced some remarkable deliverances—attends a General Meeting for Maryland, which held four days—several meetings for discipline established—has meetings with the Indian kings—travels towards New England—attends the Half-year’s Meeting on Long Island, which continued four days—has a meeting with some opposers—visits Rhode Island, where the Yearly Meeting for New England is held, which continued six days—attends a marriage there, and has a meeting with some Ranters—also one with some Indians on Shelter Island—one of his companions thrown from his horse and lays apparently dead, but soon recovers in an unexpected manner—they reach Maryland after nine days’ travel overland between three and four hundred miles—visits a judge who is ill, but recovers—attends the General Meeting for Maryland, which held five days—sails for Virginia, and arrives in three days, a distance of 200 miles—thence proceeds towards Carolina—visits the Indians, and shows them that God made but one woman for one man—returns to Virginia—sails for Maryland—endures great extremes of heat and cold within a very short period—speaks to a woman who had been many years in trouble, and entreats the Lord for her, and she is thereupon restored—attends the General Meeting for Maryland, to the edification and comfort of Friends—sails for England, and arrives safe, after a six weeks’ passage,
xiChapter VI.—1673-1675.—George Fox writes to his wife from Bristol—has a glorious powerful meeting there, in which he declares of three estates and three teachers—at Slaughterford meets with much opposition to the settlement of women’s meetings—the chief opposer, struck by the Lord’s power, condemns his error—at Armscott is arrested by Justice Parker, and sent to Worcester jail with Thomas Lower—writes to his wife—he and T. Lower write to Lord Windsor and other magistrates, with a statement of their case—they are examined at the sessions, but George Fox is ensnared with the oath, and re-committed for refusing to take it—Thomas Lower is discharged, and afterwards visits Justice Parker, and gives the priest of the parish (who instigated their imprisonment) a severe rebuke in his presence, though unknown—George Fox disputes with Dr. Crowder on swearing—he is removed to London by Habeas Corpus—but ultimately remanded to Worcester—is examined at the assizes by Judge Turner, but the case is referred to the sessions—death of his mother—disputes with a priest on perfection—brought up at the sessions and re-committed, but has liberty till the next sessions—is again removed by Habeas Corpus, and tenders in court a declaration instead of the oath—attends the Yearly Meeting in London—appears again at the sessions at Worcester, and points out the flaws in his indictment—yet he is brought in guilty and premunired—writes to the king respecting the principle of Friends—is seized with illness, and his life almost despaired of—Justice Parker writes to the jailer to relax the rigour of his imprisonment—his wife intercedes with the king for his release, which he is willing to grant by a pardon—this George Fox could not accept, as it implied guilt—he is once more removed by Habeas Corpus—the under-sheriff quarrels with him for calling their ministers priests—he is brought before the judges, and Counsellor Corbet starts a new plea, that the court cannot imprison on a premunire—the indictment is quashed for error, and he is freed by proclamation after nearly fourteen months’ imprisonment—he writes many papers and pamphlets in Worcester jail,
Chapter VII.—1675-1677.—George Fox attends the Yearly Meeting, and afterwards sets forward towards the North—attends the Quarterly Meeting at Lancaster, and goes thence to Swarthmore—writes many books and papers for the Truth—the titles of several named—writes to Friends in Westmorland to keep in the power of God, and thereby avoid strife—writes an epistle to the Yearly Meeting—makes a collection and arrangement of his various papers and writings, and of the names of divers Friends engaged in particular service, or against the Truth—some meetings for discipline established in the North in 1653—recites his labours and travels for establishing meetings for discipline—a spirit of discord and separation appears in the church—the separatists are rebuked and reproved—the establishment of men’s and women’s meetings is much opposed—a narrative of the spreading of Truth, and of the opposition from the worldly powers—death of Priest Lampitt, a persecutor—George Fox travels again towards the South—writes to his wife from York—finds some slack in their testimony against Tithes—writes an epistle to Friends on the subject—attends the Yearly Meeting—with John Burnyeat, and other Friends, visits William Penn at his house at Worminghurst, in Sussex—sets things in order for visiting Holland—precious meeting,
xiiChapter VIII.—1677.—George Fox sails for Holland, with several other Friends, and lands at Briel—attends the Quarterly Meeting at Amsterdam—writes an epistle to Friends against the spirit of separation—writes to the Princess Elizabeth—her answer—a Monthly Meeting is established at Frederickstadt—Friends are imprisoned and banished from Embden, and suffer greatly—a Monthly Meeting settled at Harlingen—a priest assents to the doctrine promulgated by George Fox—he is questioned for it by his hearers—George Fox writes an epistle to Friends respecting the seducing spirit—he writes an epistle of encouragement to Friends under suffering at Dantzic—and again to Friends respecting the spirit of separation—spends a considerable time at Amsterdam in writing on Truth’s account—a warning to the magistrates and people at Oldenburg—an epistle concerning fasts, prayers, honour, persecution, true liberty, and the observance of days and times—a warning to the magistrates, priests, and people of Hamburg—to the ambassadors met to effect a treaty of peace in the city of Nimeguen—completes his travels in Holland—writes a book addressed to the Jews,
Chapter IX.—1677-1680.—George Fox, with other Friends, sails for England, and lands at Harwich, after a hazardous voyage of three days—has a large meeting at Colchester, and proceeds thence to London—writes to his wife—receives further accounts of persecution in New England—travels into Buckinghamshire, and meets with some false brethren, who are unruly and troublesome at meetings—Friends have a special meeting with them afterwards—at Reading meets with opposition to the settlement of a women’s meeting—visits Bristol during the fair, where are many Friends from various parts—the separatists there are very rude and abusive—he aids Friends in drawing up a breviat of their sufferings, to present to the judges at Gloucester assizes—meets with some separatists at Finchcomb—is engaged with other Friends in soliciting Parliament to grant them relief from the statutes made against Popish recusants—attends the Yearly Meeting, which was a glorious and heavenly one—Friends greatly united in testifying against the spirit of separation—not one mouth opened on its behalf—the Truth prospers at home and abroad—George Fox writes to his wife—writes to the king of Poland to dissuade him from persecution—to Friends in Amsterdam—Friends again press their suit for relief from the statutes made against Popish recusants without success—are much exercised with the spirit of separation, which opposes the order and discipline of the church—George Fox writes a paper to open the understandings of the weak, and as a reproof to a censorious judging spirit—has conferences with some of the opposers at Hertford—writes again to Friends to warn them of this spirit of false liberty—visits Friends in prison at Leicester—advises Friends how to end their differences—writes an epistle to Friends in London—writes to Friends in prison to console them under suffering—writes an epistle to the Yearly Meeting—an encouragement to Friends to be valiant for the Truth—also a caution to Friends to keep in humility—travels again towards the South—visits prisoners in York Castle—recommends Friends to lay their sufferings before the judge at the assizes—attends the Yearly Meeting in London—writes to the Great Turk and to the Dey of Algiers—to the latter particularly respecting Friends who are captives there—at Hertford meets with John Story (the schismatic) and some of his party, but the Truth prevails—has a meeting with some of the opposers—solicits the Parliament to grant relief to Friends under suffering—writes a paper against plots and plotters,
Chapter X.—1681-1683.—George Fox answers two envious books written abroad—writes to magistrates to persuade them to moderation—writes to the Quarterly Meetings—attends the judges at Chambers, respecting a tithe-suit against himself and his wife—George Fox had bound himself not to intermeddle with his wife’s estate—this is shown to the judges in court, at which they wonder—his counsel thereon founds an argument in his favour—he again writes against the spirit of strife and division in the church—writes to the magistrates who had illegally condemned Friends upon ex-parte evidence—writes two papers respecting the choice of Sheriffs—Friends are interrupted at Gracechurch Street Meeting by a civil and military force—George Fox writes divers books and papers in support and defence of the Truth—the Spirit of God directed to as the rule to distinguish between Truth and error, whereby the evil of persecution may be avoided—an epistle to encourage Friends under their sufferings, both from the outward powers, and from false brethren—the laws are now more strictly enforced against Dissenters—an epistle to Friends, commending them to the power of God in themselves—writes to Friends imprisoned at Denbigh, to console them in their sufferings, and exhorting them to faithfulness—Friends are kept out of their meeting-houses, and fined for speaking—a Friend is speedily restored from a sudden illness, in a remarkable manner, through the prayers of George Fox—persecution is now hot, and George Fox writes to Friends not to risk the loss of other people’s goods through their sufferings,
Chapter XI.—1683-1685.—A salutation of love to Friends, designed to stir up the pure mind—an epistle to Friends commending them to Christ, the rock and sure foundation—an epistle of counsel to Friends—George Fox taken from a meeting and examined by a magistrate, but soon released—writes an epistle to the faithful to beware of a seducing spirit—after the Yearly Meeting sails for Holland, and lands at the Briel—attends the Yearly Meeting at Amsterdam—writes to Galenus Abrahams, a Mennonist or Baptist, who, seven years before, bid him “keep his eyes off him,” for he said “they pierced him,” but now he was become very loving and tender, as well as his family—George Fox returns to England—writes to the Duke of Holstein an able defence of women’s preaching—writes an epistle of counsel to Friends—advises with, and assists them in, drawing up an account of sufferings, which is printed and spread amongst Parliament-men—writes a caution to Friends to keep out of the world’s spirit, &c.—and a warning against pride and excess in apparel,
Chapter XII.—1685-1686.—George Fox tarries in London, labouring in the service of Truth—removes to Epping on account of his health—writes an epistle to Friends—returns to London—writes a paper concerning order in the Church of God—and a warning to backsliders—assists in distributing money raised for sufferers by Friends in Ireland—writes an epistle to the king of Poland, on behalf of Friends of Dantzic—who suffer imprisonment for conscience’ sake—a paper concerning judging—looks diligently after Friends’ sufferings in London, and obtains a general release of prisoners—writes an epistle to Friends, many having been recently liberated from prison—another on a similar occasion—an epistle to Friends to keep in the unity in the Truth—another to remind them of the evidence and seal they had received of their meetings for discipline having been set up in the power and spirit of God—a paper concerning the state of the true Church—a paper respecting the “falling away” foretold by the apostle Paul, 2 Thess. ii. 3—a paper showing how the Lord, in all ages, called the righteous out from amongst the wicked, before he destroyed the latter,
Chapter XIII.—1686-1687.—The first and second Adam compared—the two seeds distinguished—George Fox is daily exercised in London in services relating to the Church, visiting the sick or afflicted, and writing in defence of Truth, or refuting error—true prayer distinguished from the practice of the Papists—visits his son-in-law, William Mead—a distinction between the true offering and sacrifice, and the false, under the old and new covenant—a general toleration and liberty being now granted, George Fox writes a word of counsel and caution to Friends, to walk circumspectly in a time of liberty—how redemption by Christ is known and witnessed—repentance must precede the reception of the gospel, baptism, &c.—a paper showing wherein God’s people are to be like him—the right way to Christ—the kingdom of God is to be measurably known in this life—George Fox is benefited by being three months in the country—has much service in London again—at Kingston writes a paper, showing how the Jews, by disobedience, lost the Holy City and the Holy Land, designed as a warning to Christians—everlasting life through, and in, Christ, to be received and witnessed in this life—the stone cut out of the mountain signifies the kingdom and power of Christ—a miscellaneous paper, being a collection of Scripture passages respecting regeneration, sanctification, &c.,
xvChapter XIV.—1687-1690.—George Fox continues to have service in London and the neighbourhood—writes a paper respecting the gospel and the seed; being also an incentive to diligence—a general epistle to Friends, forewarning them of an approaching storm—Moses and Christ both faithful under their respective dispensations—Christ is on his throne—George Fox’s health declining, he visits William Mead again for a few weeks—the world’s teachers, and the emptiness of their teaching—those who turn people from the inward manifestation of Christ in the heart, remove them from the heavenly landmark, and bring a curse on themselves—the prophets, apostles, and holy men of old were husbandmen and tradesmen, unlike the world’s teachers—the vanity of being too much busied with, and spending the time in, hearing and telling news—though still declining, George Fox attends at the Parliament-house many days on behalf of his Friends—writes to Peter Hendricks, and to Friends at Dantzic, to strengthen and comfort them under their sufferings—to the magistrates and priests of Dantzic, showing the evil of persecution, and persuading to Christian moderation—an appendix to the Yearly Meeting’s epistle—an epistle to the Northern Yearly Meeting, to be held at York—George Fox’s health still impaired—writes an epistle to Friends in Barbadoes—to Friends in Pennsylvania and other parts of America—to all that profess the Truth of God; being a warning to the young against the world’s fashions, and to the old against going into the earthly things—Christ is the “Ensign,” prophesied of by Isaiah—an appendix to the Yearly Meeting’s epistle—an epistle to Friends in the ministry—to Friends in the ministry gone to America—to suffering Friends in Ireland—death of George Fox in 1690—epistle written with his hand and found sealed up—some account of the interment,
Testimony of Margaret Fox, concerning her late husband, George Fox; with a brief account of some of his travels, sufferings, and hardships, endured for the Truth’s sake,
An Epistle, by way of testimony, to Friends and brethren of the Monthly and Quarterly Meetings in England, Wales, and elsewhere, concerning the decease of our faithful brother, George Fox,
1663-1666.—George Fox visits London—taken up at Tenterden and examined by the magistrates, but liberated—travels to the S. W. of England—precious meetings in Wales—at Derwentwater meets with an old woman whose husband was aged 122 years—apprehended and taken before the magistrates at Holker Hall, but liberated on his parole to appear at the sessions—appears accordingly, and is committed to Lancaster jail—many poor friends imprisoned there at the same time, whose families become chargeable in consequence—one of them (Oliver Atherton) dies in jail, where he was immured by the Countess of Derby for tithes—George Fox has the oath tendered him at the assizes, and is re-committed—Margaret Fell is also imprisoned there—the prisoners in Lancaster jail to Justice Fleming—a brief warning to the same by George Fox—George Fox disputes with Major Wiggan (who was also a prisoner), and confutes him—writes to the judges against giving nicknames—writes a warning to all high professors—also a warning against the spirit of John Perrot—at the assizes he points out many fatal errors in his indictment, and it is quashed in consequence, but the judge ensnares him with the oath, and he is again remanded to prison—suffers much from the badness of the prison—at the next assizes he again points out fatal errors in his indictment, and is immediately hurried away to jail, and sentence is passed on him in his absence—a testimony against tithes—he is removed to Scarbro’ Castle—has several conferences and disputes with divers persons there—writes to the king respecting his imprisonment, and is set at liberty—copy of his discharge and passport—the day after George Fox’s liberation the great fire broke out in London, a vision of which he had in Lancaster Castle—the hand of the Lord turned against persecutors.
Having passed through Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex,
and Hertfordshire, we came to London again; where I
stayed awhile, visiting Friends in their meetings, which
were very large, and the Lord’s power was over all. After
some time I left the city again, and travelled into Kent,
having Thomas Briggs with me. We went to Ashford2where we had a quiet, and a very blessed meeting; and on
First-day we had a very good and peaceable one at Cranbrook.
Then we went to Tenterden, and had a meeting
there, to which many Friends came from several parts, and
many other people came in, and were reached by the truth.
When the meeting was over, I walked with Thomas Briggs
into a field, while our horses were got ready; and turning
my head, I espied a captain coming, and a great company of
soldiers with lighted matches and muskets. Some of them
came to us, and said, “We must go to their captain.” When
they had brought us before him, he asked, “Where is George
Fox? which is he?” I said, “I am the man.” Then he
came to me and was somewhat struck, and said, “I will
secure you among the soldiers.” So he called for them to
take me. He took Thomas Briggs, and the man of the house
with many more; but the power of the Lord was mightily
over them all. Then he came to me again, and said, “I must
go along with him to the town;” and he carried himself
pretty civilly, bidding the soldiers bring the rest after. As
we walked, I asked him, “Why they did thus;” for I had not
seen so much ado a great while, and I bid him be civil to his
peaceable neighbours.
When we were come to the town, they had us to an inn
that was the jailer’s house; and after a while the mayor of
the town, and this captain, and the lieutenant, who were
justices, came together and examined me, “why I came
thither to make a disturbance?” I told them, I did not
come to make a disturbance, neither had I made any since I
came. They said, “there was a law against the Quakers’
meetings, made only against them.” I told them, I knew
no such law. Then they brought forth the act that was made
against Quakers and others. I told them, that was against
such as were a terror to the king’s subjects, and were enemies,
and held principles dangerous to the government, and therefore
that was not against us, for we held truth; and our
principles were not dangerous to the government, and our
3meetings were peaceable, as they knew, who knew their
neighbours were a peaceable people. They told me, “I was
an enemy to the king.” I answered, We loved all people
and were enemies to none; that I, for my own part, had
been cast into Derby dungeon, about the time of Worcester
fight, because I would not take up arms against him, and that
I was afterwards brought by Colonel Hacker to London, as
a plotter to bring in King Charles, and was kept prisoner
there till set at liberty by Oliver. They asked me, “whether
I was imprisoned in the time of the insurrection?” I said,
yes; I had been imprisoned then, and since that also, and
had been set at liberty by the king’s own command. I opened
the act to them, and showed them the king’s late declaration;
gave them the examples of other justices, and told them
also what the House of Lords had said of it. I spoke also to them
concerning their own conditions, exhorting them to live in the
fear of God, to be tender towards their neighbours that feared
him, and to mind God’s wisdom, by which all things were
made and created, that they might come to receive it, be
ordered by it, and by it order all things to God’s glory. They
demanded bond of us for our appearance at the sessions;
but we, pleading our innocency, refused to give bond. Then
they would have us promise to come no more there; but we
kept clear of that also. When they saw they could not
bring us to their terms, they told us, “we should see they
were civil to us, for it was the mayor’s pleasure we should
all be set at liberty.” I told them their civility was noble,
and so we parted.
Then leaving Tenterden we went to Newick in Sussex,
where we visited some Friends. Thence we passed through
the country, visiting Friends, and having great meetings;
all quiet and free from disturbance, except by some jangling
Baptists, till we came into Hampshire. After a good meeting
at Southampton, we went to Pouner, in the parish of
Ringwood, where was a monthly meeting next day, to which
many Friends came from Southampton, Poole, and other
4places; and the weather being very hot, some of them came
pretty early in the morning. I took a friend and walked
out with him into the orchard, inquiring of him how the affairs
of truth stood amongst them; (for many of them had been
convinced by me, before I was a prisoner in Cornwall.)
While we were conversing, a young man came and told us
the trained bands were raising, and he heard they would come
and break up the meeting. It was not yet meeting-time for about
three hours, and there being other Friends walking in the
orchard, the Friend that I was discoursing with before, desired
me to walk into a corn-field adjoining it, which we did.
After a while the young man that spoke of the trained bands
left us, and when he was gone some distance, he stood and
waved his hat. Whereupon I spoke to the other young man that
was with me, to go and see what he meant. He went, but
did not return; for the soldiers were come into the orchard.
As I kept walking I could see the soldiers, and some of them,
as I heard afterwards, saw me, but had no mind to meddle.
Coming so long before the meeting-time, they did not tarry;
but took what Friends they found at the house, and some
whom they met in the lane coming, and led them away.
After they were gone, it drew towards eleven, Friends began
to come in apace, and a large and glorious meeting we had;
for the everlasting Seed of God was set over all, and the
people were settled in the new covenant of life, upon the
foundation, Christ Jesus.
Towards the latter part of the meeting, there came a man
in gay apparel, and looked in while I was declaring, and
went away again presently. This man came with an evil
intent; for he went forthwith to Ringwood, and told the
magistrates “they had taken two or three men at Pouner,
and had left George Fox there preaching to two or three
hundred people.” Upon this the magistrates sent the officers
and soldiers again; but the meeting being nearly ended when
the man looked in, and he having about a mile and a half
to go with his information, to fetch the soldiers, and they as
5far to come, after they had received their orders, before they
came our meeting was over; ending about three o’clock
peaceably and orderly. After the meeting I spoke to the
Friends of the house where it was held (the hostess lying
then dead in the house,) and then some Friends conducted
me to another Friend’s at a little distance; where, after we
had refreshed ourselves, I took horse, having about twenty miles
to ride that afternoon to one —— Fry’s house in Wiltshire,
where a meeting was appointed for the next day.
After we were gone, the officers and soldiers came in a
great heat, and when they found they were too late, and had
missed their prey, they were much enraged; and the officers
were offended with the soldiers, because they had not seized
my horse in the stable the first time they came. But the
Lord, by his good providence, delivered me, and prevented
their mischievous design. For the officers were envious
men, and had an evil mind against Friends; but the Lord
brought his judgments upon them, so that it was taken notice
of by their neighbours. For “whereas before they were
wealthy men, after this their estates wasted away; and
John Line, the constable, who was not only very forward in
putting on the soldiers to take Friends, but also carried those
that were taken to prison, and took a false oath against them at
the assize, upon which they were fined and continued
prisoners, was a sad spectacle to behold. For his flesh rotting
away while he lived, he died in a very miserable condition,
wishing he had never meddled with the Quakers, and confessing
that he had never prospered since he had had a hand
in persecuting them; and that he thought the hand of the
Lord was against him for it.”
At —— Fry’s in Wiltshire, we had a very blessed
meeting, and quiet, though the officers had purposed to
break it up, and were on their way in order thereunto. But
before they got to it, word was brought them, that there was
a house just broken up by thieves, and they were required
to go back again with speed, to search after and pursue them; by
6which means, our meeting escaped disturbance, and we were
preserved out of their hands.
We passed through Wiltshire into Dorsetshire, having
large and good meetings. The Lord’s everlasting power was
with us, and carried us over all; in which we sounded forth
his saving truth and word of life, which many gladly received.
Thus we visited Friends, till we came to Topsham in Devonshire,
travelling some weeks eight or nine score miles a
week, and had meetings every day. At Topsham we met
with Margaret Fell and two of her daughters, Sarah and Mary,
and with Leonard Fell and Thomas Salthouse.[1] Thence we
passed to Totness, where we visited some Friends, then to
Kingsbridge, and to Henry Pollexfen’s, who had been an
ancient justice of peace. There we had a large meeting.
This old Justice accompanied us to Plymouth, and into
Cornwall to Justice Porter’s, and thence to Thomas
Mount’s, where we had another large meeting. After which
we went to Humphrey Lower’s, where also we had a large
7meeting, and thence to Loveday Hambley’s, where we had a
general meeting for the whole country; and all was quiet.
A little before this, Joseph Hellen and G. Bewley, had
been at Loo to visit Blanch Pope, a Ranting woman,
under pretence to convince and convert her; but before
they left her, she had so darkened them with her principles,
that they seemed to be like her disciples, especially
Joseph Hellen; for she had asked them, “who made the
devil; did not God?” This idle question so puzzled them,
that they could not answer her. They afterwards asked me
that question. I told them, no; for all that God made was
good and was blessed; so was not the devil. He was called
a serpent before he was called a devil and an adversary, and
then he had the title of devil given to him. Afterwards he
was called a dragon, because he was a destroyer. The devil
abode not in the truth, and by departing from the truth, he
became a devil. So the Jews, when they went out of the
truth, were said to be of the devil, and were called serpents.
Now there is no promise of God to the devil, that ever he
shall return to truth again; but to man and woman, who
have been deceived by him, the promise of God is, that
“the Seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head,”—shall
break his power and strength to pieces. Now when
these things were opened more at large to the satisfaction of
Friends, those two who had yielded to the spirit of that
ranting woman, were judged by the truth; and one of them,
Joseph Hellen, ran quite out, and was disowned by Friends;
but George Bewley was recovered, and afterwards became
serviceable.
We passed from Loveday Hambley’s to Francis Hodges’s,
near Falmouth and Penryn, where we had a large meeting.
Thence we went to Helstone that night, where some
Friends came to visit us; and next day passed to Thomas
Teage’s, where we had another large meeting, at which
many were convinced. I was led to open “the state of the
church in the primitive times, the state of the church in the
8wilderness, and the state of the false church that was got up
since, and to show that now the everlasting gospel was
preached again over the head of the whore, beast, false
prophets, and antichrists, which had got up since the
apostles’ days; and now the everlasting gospel was received
and receiving, which brought life and immortality
to light, that they might see over the devil that had darkened
them.” The people received the gospel and the word of life
gladly, and a glorious blessed meeting we had for the exalting
of the Lord’s everlasting truth and his name. After the
meeting was over I walked out, and as I was coming in
again I heard a noise in the court, and coming nearer, I found
the man of the house speaking to the tinners and others, and
telling them, “it was the everlasting truth that had been
declared there that day;” and the people generally confessed
to it.
From thence we passed to the Land’s End, to John
Ellis’s, where we had a precious meeting. Here was a
fisherman, one Nicholas Jose, that was convinced. He spoke
in meetings, and declared the truth amongst the people, and
the Lord’s power was over all. I was glad that the Lord had
raised up his standard in those dark parts of the nation,
where there is since a fine meeting of honest-hearted Friends;
many are come to sit under Christ’s teaching; and a great
people the Lord will have in that country.
Thence we returned to Redruth, and next day to
Truro, where we had a meeting. Next morning, some of
the chief of the town desired to speak with me, amongst
whom was Colonel Rouse. I went and had much discourse
with them concerning the things of God. In their reasoning,
they said, “the gospel was the four books of Matthew,
Mark, Luke, and John;” and they called it natural. I told
them, “the gospel was the power of God, which was
preached before Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, or any of
them were printed or written; and it was preached to every
creature (of which a great part might never see or hear of
9those four books,) so that every creature was to obey the
power of God; for Christ, the spiritual man, would judge
the world according to the gospel, that is, according to his
invisible power.” When they heard this, they could not
gainsay; for the truth came over them. I directed them to
their teacher, the Grace of God, and showed them the sufficiency
of it, which would teach them how to live, and what
to deny; and being obeyed, would bring them salvation. So
to that grace I recommended them, and left them.
Then we returned through the country, visiting Friends,
and had meetings at Humphrey Lower’s again, and at
Thomas Mount’s. Afterwards at George Hawkins’s, at Stoke,
we had a large meeting, to which Friends came from Launceston
and several other places. A living, precious meeting
it was, in which the Lord’s presence and power was richly
manifested amongst us; and I left Friends there under the
Lord Jesus Christ’s teaching.
In Cornwall I was informed there was one Colonel
Robinson, a very wicked man, who, after the king came in,
was made a justice of peace, and became a cruel persecutor
of Friends, of whom he sent many to prison. Hearing that
they had some little liberty, through the favour of the jailer,
to come home sometimes to visit their wives and children,
he made great complaint thereof to the judge at the assize
against the jailer; whereupon the jailer was fined a hundred
marks, and Friends were kept very strictly up for a while.
After he was come home from the assize, he sent to a neighbouring
justice, to desire him to go to a fanatic-hunting
with him. On the day that he intended, and was prepared
to go, he sent his man about with his horses, and walked
himself on foot from his dwelling-house to a tenement,
where his cows and dairy were kept, and where his servants
were then milking. When he came there he asked for his
bull. The maid-servants said, they had shut him into the
field, because he was unruly against the kine, and hindered
their milking. Then he went into the field to the bull, and
10having formerly accustomed himself to play with him, he
began to fence at him with his staff. But the bull snuffed
at him, and passed a little back; then turning upon him
again, ran fiercely at him and struck his horn into his thigh,
and heaving him upon his horn, threw him over his back,
and tore up his thigh to his belly. When he came to the
ground again he gored him with his horns, run them into
the ground in his rage and violence, roared, and licked up
his master’s blood. The maid-servant, hearing her master
cry out, ran into the field, and took the bull by the horns to
pull him off from her master. The bull, without hurting
her, put her gently by with his horns, but still fell to goring
him and licking up his blood. Then she ran and got some
men, that were at work not far off, to come and rescue her
master; but they could not at all beat off the bull, till they
brought mastiff dogs to set on him; and then he fled in
great rage and fury. Upon hearing of it his sister came, and
said to him, “Alack! brother, what a heavy judgment is
this that has befallen you!” He answered, “Ah! sister, it is
a heavy judgment indeed. Pray let the bull be killed, and
the flesh given to the poor,” said he. They carried him
home, but he died soon after. The bull was grown so fierce
that they were forced to shoot him; for no man durst
come near to kill him. Thus does the Lord sometimes make
some examples of his just judgment upon the persecutors of
his people, that others may fear, and learn to beware.
After I had cleared myself of Cornwall, and Thomas
Lower had brought us over Horsebridge into Devonshire
again, we took our leave of him. Thomas Briggs, Robert
Widders, and I, came to Tiverton; and it being their fair,
and many Friends there, we had a meeting amongst them.
The magistrates gathered in the street, but the Lord’s power
stopped them. I saw them in the street over against the
door, but they had not power to come in to meddle with us,
though they had will enough to do it.
After the meeting we passed to Collumpton and Wellington,
11for we had appointed a meeting five miles off,
where we had a large one at a butcher’s house, and a blessed
meeting it was. The people were directed to their Teacher,
the Grace of God, which would bring them salvation, and
many were settled under its teaching. The Lord’s presence
was amongst us, and we were refreshed in him, in whom we
laboured and travailed; and the meeting was quiet. There
had been very great persecution in that country and town a
little before, insomuch that some Friends questioned the peaceableness
of our meeting; but the Lord’s power chained all,
and his glory shone over all. Friends told us how they had
broken up their meetings by warrants from the justices, and
how by their warrants they were required to carry Friends
before the justices; and Friends bid them “carry them
then.” The officers told Friends, “they must go:” but
Friends said, nay; that was not according to their warrants,
which required them to carry them. Then they were forced
to hire carts, and waggons, and horses, and to lift Friends into
their waggons and carts, to carry them before a justice.
When they came to a justice’s house, sometimes he happened
to be from home, and if he were a moderate man, he would
get out of the way, and then they were obliged to carry them
before another, so that they were many days carting and
carrying friends up and down from place to place. And
when afterwards the officers came to lay their charges for
this upon the town, the town’s-people would not pay it, but
made them bear it themselves; which broke the neck of
their persecution there for that time. The like was done in
several other places, till the officers had shamed and tired
themselves, and then they were glad to give over.
At one place they warned Friends to come to the steeple-house.
Friends met to consider of it, and finding freedom
to go to the steeple-house, they met together there. Accordingly
when they came thither, they sat down to wait upon
the Lord in his power and Spirit, and minded the Lord
Jesus Christ, their Teacher and Saviour; but did not mind
12the priest. When the officers saw that, they came to them
to put them out of the steeple-house again; but the Friends
told them, it was not time for them to break up their meeting
yet. A while after, when the priest had done, they came
to the Friends again, and would have had them go home to
dinner; but the Friends told them, they did not choose to
go to dinner, they were feeding upon the bread of life. So
there they sat, waiting upon the Lord, and enjoying his
power and presence, till they found freedom in themselves
to depart. Thus the priest’s people were offended, because
they could not get them to the steeple-house: and when
there, they were offended, because they could not get them
out again.
From the meeting near Collumpton we went to Taunton,
where we had a large meeting. The next day we came
to a general meeting in Somersetshire, which was very large;
and the Lord’s everlasting word of life and truth was largely
declared. The people were refreshed thereby, and settled
upon Christ, their Rock and Foundation, and brought to sit
under his teaching; the meeting was peaceable. But about
the second hour of the night there came a company of men
who knocked at the door, and bid us open it, or they would
break it open; for they wanted a man that they came to
search the house for. I heard the noise, and got up, and at
the window saw a man at the door with his sword by his
side. When they had let him in, he came into the chamber
where I was, and looked on me, and said, “You are not the
man I look for:” and went his way.
We came thence to Street, and to William Beaton’s, at
Puddimore, where we had a very large general meeting,
wherein the Lord’s everlasting truth was declared, the people
refreshed, and all quiet. Thence we went to John Dander’s,
where we had another large and very precious meeting; and
then passed on to Bristol, where we had good service for
the Lord, and all quiet. Here we met with Margaret Fell
and her daughters again. After some time we went to
13Slaughterford in Wiltshire, where was a very large
meeting in a great barn. Good service we had there: for
the truth, as it is in Jesus, was published amongst them, and
many were gathered by it into the name of the Lord.
After this I passed into Gloucestershire and Herefordshire,
having large meetings in each. In Hereford
I had a meeting in the inn. When I was gone, the magistrates,
hearing there had been a meeting, came to search the
inn for me, and were vexed that they had missed me. But
the Lord so ordered it, that I escaped their hands; and
Friends were established upon Christ, their Foundation, the
Rock of Ages.
Then I went into Radnorshire, in Wales, and had
several precious meetings there. The Lord’s name and
standard was set up, and many were gathered to it, and
settled under the teaching of Christ Jesus, their Saviour, who
bought them.
After I was clear of Wales, I came to a market-town
between England and Wales, where there was a great fair
that day; and several Friends being at the fair, we went to
an inn, and they came to us. After we had had a fine opportunity
with Friends, we parted from them, and went on
our way. The officers of the town took notice, it seems, of
our being there, and of Friends gathering to us. They began
also to meet together to consult among themselves how to
ensnare us, though it was the fair time; but before they
could do anything we were gone on our journey, and so
escaped them.
Thence we came into Shropshire, where we had a large
and precious meeting. After many meetings in those parts
we came into Warwickshire, and visited Friends there, and
so into Derbyshire and Staffordshire, visiting Friends’
meetings as we went. At Whitehaugh we had a large,
blessed meeting, and quiet; after which we rode about
twenty miles that night to Captain Lingard’s. We heard
afterwards that when we were gone, the officers came to
14seize us, and were much disturbed that they missed us; but
the Lord disappointed them, and Friends were joyful in the
Lord that we escaped them.
At Captain Lingard’s we had a blessed meeting, the
Lord’s presence being wonderfully amongst us. After this
we passed through the Peak-country in Derbyshire, and
went to Synderhill-Green,[2] where we had a large meeting.
Here John Whitehead[3] and several other Friends came to me.
Then I passed through the country, visiting Friends, till I
come to the farther end of Holderness, and so passed by
Scarbro’, Whitby, and Malton, to York, having many
meetings in the way; and the Lord’s everlasting power was
over all.
We went from York to Boroughbridge, where I had a
glorious meeting. Thence we passed into Durham to one
Richmond’s, where there was a general meeting; and the
Lord’s power was over all, though people were grown exceedingly
rude about this time. After the meeting we went to
Henry Draper’s, where we stayed all night. Next morning
a Friend came to me, as I was passing away, and told me,
“if the priests and justices (for many priests were made
justices in that country at that time) could find me, they
would destroy me.”
Being clear of Durham, I went over Stainmoor into
Yorkshire, and to Sedbergh, where having visited Friends,
I went into Westmorland, visiting Friends there also.
Thence I passed into Lancashire and came to Swarthmore.
Here I stayed but a little while before I went over the Sands
15to Arnside, where I had a general meeting. After it was
ended, there came some men to break it up; but understanding
before they arrived that the meeting was over, they
turned back. I went to Robert Widders’s, and thence to
Underbarrow, where I had a glorious meeting, and the
Lord’s power was over all. Thence I passed to Grayrigg,
and having visited Friends there, I went to Ann Audland’s,
where they would have had me to stay their meeting next
day; but I felt a stop in my spirit. It was upon me to go
to John Blakelin’s in Sedbergh, and to be next day at the
meeting there; which is large, and a precious people there
is. We had a very good meeting next day at Sedbergh; but
the constables went to the meeting at Ann Audland’s, to look
for me. Thus by the good hand and disposing Providence
of the Lord, I escaped their snare.
I went from John Blakelin’s with Leonard Fell to
Strickland Head, where on First-day we had a very precious
meeting on the common. That night we stayed amongst
Friends there, and next day passed into Northumberland.
After the justices had heard of this meeting at Strickland-Head,
they made search for me; but by the good hand of
the Lord, I escaped them again, though there were some very
wicked justices. We went to Hugh Hutchinson’s house in
Northumberland, a Friend in the ministry, whence we
visited Friends thereabouts, and then went to Derwentwater,
where we had a very glorious meeting. There came
an ancient woman to me, and told me her husband remembered
his love to me; she said, I might call him to mind by this
token, that I used to call him “the Tall White Old Man.”
She said, he was six score and two years old, and that he
would have come to the meeting, but his horses were all employed
upon some urgent occasion. I heard he lived some
years after.
When I had visited Friends in those parts, and they were
settled upon Christ, their Foundation, I passed through
Northumberland, and came to old Thomas Bewley’s in
16Cumberland. Friends came about me, and asked, “would
I come there to go into prison?” For there was great persecution
in that country at that time; yet I had a general
meeting at Thomas Bewley’s, which was large and precious,
and the Lord’s power was over all.
One Musgrave was at that time deputy-governor of
Carlisle. Passing along the country, I came to a man’s
house that had been convinced, whose name was Fletcher;
and he told me, “if Musgrave knew I was there, he would
be sure to send me to prison, he was such a severe man.”
But I stayed not there, only calling on the way to see this
man; and then I went to William Pearson’s, near Wigton,
where the meeting was, which was very large and precious.
Some Friends were then prisoners at Carlisle, whom I visited
by a letter, which Leonard Fell carried. From William
Pearson’s I visited Friends, till I came to Pardshaw-Crag,
where we had a general meeting, which was large; all was
quiet and peaceable, and the glorious, powerful presence of
the everlasting God was with us.
So eager were the magistrates about this time to stir up
persecution in those parts, that some offered five shillings,
and some a noble a day, to any that could apprehend the
speakers amongst the Quakers; but it being now the time of
the quarter Sessions in that county, the men who were so
hired were gone to the sessions to get their wages, and so all
our meetings were at that time quiet.
From Pardshaw-Crag we went into Westmorland,
calling on the way upon Hugh Tickell[4], near Keswick, and
17upon Thomas Laythes, where Friends came to visit us; and
we had a fine opportunity to be refreshed together. We
went that night to Francis Benson’s, in Westmorland, near
Justice Fleming’s house. This Justice Fleming was at that
time in a great rage against Friends, and me in particular;
insomuch that in the open sessions at Kendal just before, he
had bid five pounds to any man that should take me, as
Francis Benson told me. And it seems, as I went to this
Friend’s house, I met one man coming from the sessions
that had this five pounds offered him to take me, and he
knew me; for as I passed by him, he said to his companion,
that is George Fox; yet he had not power to touch me, for
the Lord’s power preserved me over them all. The justices
being so eager to have me, and I being so often near them,
and yet they missing me, tormented them the more.
I went thence to James Taylor’s at Cartmel, where I
stayed First-day, and had a precious meeting; and after it I
came over the Sands to Swarthmore.
When I came there, they told me, Colonel Kirby had
sent his lieutenant thither to take me, and that he had
searched trunks and chests for me. That night as I was in
bed, I was moved of the Lord to go next day to Kirby-Hall,
which was Colonel Kirby’s house, about five miles off, to
speak with him, and I did so. When I came thither, I found
the Flemings, and several others of the gentry (so called) of
the country, come to take their leave of Colonel Kirby, he
being about to go up to London to the parliament. I was
18shown into the parlour amongst them; but Colonel Kirby
was not then within, being gone out; so they said little to
me, nor I much to them. But presently he came in, and I
told him, that understanding he was desirous to see me, “I
came to visit him, to know what he had to say to me, and
whether he had anything against me.” He said, before all
the company, “As he was a gentleman, he had nothing
against me. But,” said he, “Mistress Fell must not keep
great meetings at her house, for they meet contrary to the
act.” I told him, “that act did not take hold on us, but on
such as met to plot and contrive, and to raise insurrections
against the king, whereas we were no such people; for he
knew that they that met at Margaret Fell’s house were his
neighbours, and a peaceable people.” After many words
had passed, he shook me by the hand, and said again, “he
had nothing against me;” and others of them said, I was a
deserving man. So we parted, and I returned to Swarthmore.
Shortly after, when Colonel Kirby was gone to London,
there was a private meeting of the justices and deputy-lieutenants
at Holker-Hall, where Justice Preston lived; and
there they granted a warrant to apprehend me. I heard
over-night both of their meeting and of the warrant, and so
could have escaped out of their reach if I would; for I had
not appointed any meeting at that time, and I had cleared
myself of the north, and the Lord’s power was over all. But
I considered, there being a noise of a plot in the north, if I
should go away, they might fall upon Friends; but if I gave
up myself to be taken, it might stop them, and the Friends
should escape the better. So I gave up to be taken, and prepared
myself against they came.
Next day an officer came with sword and pistols to take
me. I told him, “I knew his errand before, and had given
up myself to be taken; for if I would have escaped their imprisonment,
I could have gone forty miles off before he
came; but I was an innocent man, and so cared not what
19they could do to me.” He asked me “How I heard of it,
seeing the order was made privately in a parlour.” I said
it was no matter, it was sufficient that I heard of it. I asked
him to let me see his order; whereupon he laid his hand on
his sword, and said, “I must go with him before the lieutenants,
to answer such questions as they should propose to
me.” I told him it was but civil and reasonable for him to
let me see his order; but he would not. Then said I, I am
ready. So I went along with them, and Margaret Fell accompanied
us to Holker-Hall.
When we came thither, there was one Rawlinson,
a justice, and one called Sir George Middleton, and many
more that I did not know, besides old Justice Preston who
lived there. They brought Thomas Atkinson, a Friend of
Cartmel, as a witness against me, for some words which he
had told to one Knipe, who had informed them; which words
were, “that I had written against the plotters, and had
knocked them down.” These words they could not make
much of, for I told them I had heard of a plot, and had
written against it. Old Preston asked me, whether I had a
hand in that script? I asked him what he meant? He
said, in the Battledore. I answered, Yes. Then he asked
me, whether I understood languages. I said, sufficient for
myself; and that I knew no law that was transgressed by it.
I told them also, that “to understand outward languages,
was no matter of salvation; for the many tongues began but
at the confusion of Babel; and if I did understand anything
of them, I judged and knocked them down again for any
matter of salvation that was in them.” Thereupon he turned
away, and said, “George Fox knocks down all the languages.
Come,” said he, “we will examine you of higher matters.”
Then said George Middleton, “You deny God, and the
church, and the faith.” I replied, “Nay, I own God, and the
true church, and the true faith. But what church dost thou
own?” said I (for I understood he was a Papist.) Then
he turned again and said, “You are a rebel and a traitor.” I
20asked him to whom he spoke, or whom did he call rebel: he
was so full of envy that for a while he could not speak, but
at last he said, “he spoke it to me.” With that I struck my
hand on the table, and told him, “I had suffered more than
twenty such as he, or than any that was there; for I had
been cast into Derby dungeon for six months together, and had
suffered much because I would not take up arms against this
king before Worcester fight. I had been sent up prisoner
out of my own country by Colonel Hacker to Oliver Cromwell,
as a plotter to bring in King Charles in the year 1654;
and I had nothing but love and goodwill to the king, and
desired the eternal good and welfare of him and all his subjects.”
“Did you ever hear the like,” said Middleton. “Nay,”“Nay,”
said I, “ye may hear it again if ye will. For ye talk of the
king, a company of you, but where were ye in Oliver’s days,
and what did ye do then for him? But I have more love to
the king for his eternal good and welfare than any of you
have.”
Then they asked me, “whether I had heard of the plot?”
and I said, “yes, I had heard of it.” They asked me how I
had heard of it, and whom I knew in it? I told them, I had
heard of it through the high-sheriff of Yorkshire, who had
told Dr. Hodgson that there was a plot in the north; that
was the way I heard of it; but I had never heard
of any such thing in the south, nor till I came into the north.
And as for knowing any in the plot, I was as a child in that,
for I knew none of them. Then said they, “why would
you write against it, if you did not know some that were in
it.” I said, “my reason was because you are so forward to
mash the innocent and guilty together, therefore I wrote
against it to clear the truth from such things, and to stop all
forward, foolish spirits from running into such things. I sent
copies of it into Westmorland, Cumberland, Durham, and
Yorkshire, and to you here. I sent another copy of it to the
King and his council, and it is likely it may be in print by
this time.”time.” One of them said, “O, this man hath great power!”
21I said, “yes, I had power to write against plotters.” Then
said one of them, “you are against the laws of the land.” I
answered, “Nay, for I and my Friends direct all people to the
Spirit of God in them, to mortify the deeds of the flesh.
This brings them into well-doing, and from that which the
magistrate’s sword is against, which eases the magistrates, who
are for the punishment of evil-doers. So people being turned to
the Spirit of God, which brings them to mortify the deeds of
the flesh,—this brings them from under the occasion of the
magistrate’s sword; and this must needs be one with magistracy,
and one with the law, which was added because of
transgression, and is for the praise of them that do well. In
this we establish the law, are an ease to the magistrates, and
are not against, but stand for, all good government.”
Then George Middleton cried, “Bring the book and put
the oaths of allegiance and supremacy to him.” Now he himself
being a Papist, I asked him, “whether he had taken the
oath of supremacy, who was a swearer? As for us, we could
not swear at all, because Christ and the apostle had forbidden
it.” Some of them would not have had the oath put to me,
but have set me at liberty. But the rest would not agree to that;
for this was their last snare, and they had no other way to get
me into prison, all other things had been cleared to them.
This was like the Papist’s sacrament of the altar, by which
they ensnared the martyrs. So they tendered me the oath,
which I could not take; whereupon they were about to
make my mittimus to send me to Lancaster jail; but considering
of it, they only engaged me to appear at the sessions,
and so for that time dismissed me. I went back with
Margaret Fell to Swarthmore; and soon after Colonel West
came to see me, who was at that time a justice of peace. He
told us, “he acquainted some of the rest of the justices, that
he would come over to see me and Margaret Fell; but it
may be,” said he, “some of you will take offence at it.” I
asked him, “What he thought they would do with me
at the sessions;” and he said, “they would tender the
22oath to me again.”
Whilst I was at Swarthmore, William Kirby came into
Swarthmore meeting, and brought the constables with him.
I was sitting with Friends in the meeting, and he said to me,
“How now, Mr. Fox! you have a fine company here.”
“Yes,” said I, “we meet to wait upon the Lord.” So he
began to take the names of Friends, and them that did not
readily tell him their names, he committed to the constables’
hands, and sent some to prison. The constables were unwilling
to take them without a warrant, whereupon he
threatened to set them by the heels; but one of the constables
told him, “he could keep them in his presence, but
after he was gone, he could not keep them without a
warrant.”
The sessions coming on, I went to Lancaster, and
appeared according to my engagement. There was upon
the bench Justice Fleming, who had bid five pounds in
Westmorland to any man that would apprehend me; for he
was a justice both in Westmorland and Lancashire. There
were also Justice Spencer, Colonel West, and old Justice
Rawlinson the lawyer, who gave the charge, and was very
sharp against truth and Friends; but the Lord’s power
stopped them. The session was large, and the concourse of
people great; and way being made for me, I came up to the
bar and stood there with my hat on, they looking earnestly
upon me, and I upon them for a pretty space. Proclamation
being made for all to keep silence upon pain of imprisonment,
and all being quiet, I said twice, “Peace be among
you.” The chairman asked, “If I knew where I was;” I
said, “yes, I do, but it may be,” said I, “my hat offends
you; that is a low thing, that is not the honour that I give to
magistrates; for the true honour is from above; which I
have received, and I hope it is not the hat which ye look
upon to be the honour.” The chairman said, “they looked
for the hat too,” and asked, “wherein I showed my respect
to magistrates, if I did not put off my hat?” I replied,
23“In coming when they called me.” Then they bid one,
“take off my hat.” After which it was some time before
they spoke to me, and I felt the power of the Lord to arise.
After some pause, old Justice Rawlinson, the chairman,
asked me, “if I knew of the plot?” I told him, “I had
heard of it in Yorkshire, by a Friend, that had it from the
high-sheriff.” Then they asked me, “whether I had declared
it to the magistrates.” I said, “I had sent papers abroad
against plots and plotters, and also to you, as soon as I came
into the country, to take all jealousies out of your minds concerning
me and my friends; for it was and is our principle
to declare against such things.“ They asked me then, “if I
knew not of an act against meetings.” I said, “I knew there
was an act that took hold of such as met to the terrifying of
the king’s subjects, and were enemies to the king, and held
dangerous principles; but I hoped, they did not look upon
us to be such men, for our meetings were not to terrify the
king’s subjects, neither are we enemies to him or any man.”
Then they tendered me the oaths of allegiance and supremacy.
I told them “I“I could not take any oath at all, because
Christ and his apostle had forbidden it; and they had had
sufficient experience of swearers, first one way, then
another; but I had never taken any oath in my life.” Then
Rawlinson the lawyer asked me, “whether I held it was unlawful
to swear?” This question he put on purpose to ensnare
me; for by an act that was made, such were liable to
banishment or a great fine that should say, it was “unlawful
to swear.” But I seeing the snare, avoided it, and told
him, “that in the time of the law amongst the Jews, before
Christ came, the law commanded them to swear; but Christ,
who doth fulfill the law in his gospel time, commands ‘not
to swear at all;’ and the apostle James forbids swearing,
even to them that were Jews, and had the law of God.” After
much discourse they called for the jailer and committed me
to prison.
I had about me the paper which I had written as a
24testimony against plots, which I desired they would read, or
suffer to be read, in open court; but they would not. So
being committed for refusing to swear, “I bid them and all
the people take notice, that I suffered for the doctrine of
Christ, and for my obedience to his command.” Afterwards
I understood the justices said, they had private instructions
from Colonel Kirby to prosecute me, notwithstanding his
fair carriage and seeming kindness to me before, when he
declared before many of them “that he had nothing against
me.” Several other Friends were committed to prison, some
for meeting to worship God, and some for not swearing; so
that the prison was very full. Many of them being poor
men, that had nothing to maintain their families by but
their labour, which now they were taken from, several of
their wives went to the justices who had committed their
husbands, and told them, “if they kept their husbands in
jail for nothing but the truth of Christ, and for good conscience’
sake, they would bring their children to them to be
maintained.” A mighty power of the Lord rose in Friends,
and gave them great boldness, so that they spoke much to
the justices. Friends also that were prisoners wrote to the
justices, laying the weight of their sufferings upon them, and
showing them both their injustice and want of compassion
towards their poor neighbours, whom they knew to be honest,
conscientious, peaceable people, that in tenderness of conscience
could not take any oath; yet they sent them to prison
for refusing to take the oath of allegiance. Several who were
imprisoned on that account were known to be men that had
served the king in his wars, and had hazarded their lives in the
field in his cause, and had suffered great hardships, with the loss
of much blood for him, and had always stood faithful to him
from first till last, and had never received any pay for their
service. To be thus requited for all their faithful services
and sufferings, and that by them that pretended to be the
king’s friends, was hard, unkind, and ungrateful dealing. At
length the justices being continually attended with complaints
25of grievances, released some of the Friends, but kept divers
of them still in prison.
Amongst those that were then in prison, there were four
Friends for tithes, who had been sent at the suit of the
Countess of Derby, and had lain near two years and a half.
One of these, Oliver Atherton, a man of a weakly constitution,
was, through his long and hard imprisonment in a cold, raw,
unwholesome place, brought so low and weak in his body,
that there appeared no hope of his life, unless he might be
removed. Wherefore a letter was written on his behalf to
the Countess, and sent by his son, Godfrey Atherton, wherein
were laid before her “the reasons why he and the rest could
not pay tithes; because, if they did, they should deny Christ
come in the flesh, who by his coming had put an end to
tithes, and to the priesthood to which they had been given,
and to the commandment by which they had been paid under
the law. His weak condition of body was also laid before
her, and the apparent likelihood of his death if she continued
to hold him there; that she might be moved to pity
and compassion, and also warned not to draw the guilt of his
innocent blood upon herself.” When his son went to her
with his father’s letter, a servant of her’s abused him, plucked
off his cap, and threw it away, and put him out of the gate.
Nevertheless the letter was delivered into her own hand, but
she shut out all pity and tenderness, and continued him in
prison till death. When his son returned to his father in
prison, and told him, as he lay on his dying bed, that the
Countess denied his liberty, he only said, “She hath been
the cause of shedding much blood, but this will be the heaviest
blood that ever she spilt;” and soon after he died.
Friends having his body delivered to them to bury, as they
carried it from the prison to Ormskirk, the parish wherein
he had lived, they stuck up papers upon the crosses at Garstang,
Preston, and other towns, through which they passed, with
this inscription:—“This is Oliver Atherton, of Ormskirk
parish, persecuted to death by the Countess of Derby for good
26conscience’ sake towards God and Christ, because he could
not give her tithes,” &c., setting forth at large the reasons of
his refusing to pay tithes, the length of his imprisonment,
the hardships he had undergone, her hard-heartedness towards
him, and the manner of his death.
After his death, Richard Cubban, another of her prisoners
for tithes, wrote a large letter to her, on behalf of himself
and his fellow-prisoners at her suit, laying their innocency
before her; and “that it was not out of wilfulness, stubbornness,
or covetousness, that they refused to pay her tithes, but
purely in good conscience towards God and Christ; and
letting her know that, if she should be suffered to keep them
there till every one died, as she had done their fellow-sufferer
Oliver Atherton, they could not yield to pay her. And therefore
desired her to consider their case in a Christian spirit,
and not bring their blood upon herself also.” But she would
not show any pity or compassion towards them, who had
now suffered hard imprisonment about two years and a half
under her. Instead thereof she sent to Garstang, and
threatened to complain to the king and council, and bring
them into trouble, for suffering the paper concerning Oliver
Atherton’s death, to be stuck upon their cross. The rage
that she expressed made the people take the more notice of
it, and some of them said, “the Quakers had given her a
bone to pick.” But she, that regarded not the life of an innocent
sufferer for Christ, lived not long after herself; for
that day three weeks that Oliver Atherton’s body was carried
through Ormskirk to be buried, she died; and her body was
carried that day seven weeks through the same town to her
burying-place. Thus the Lord pursued the hard-hearted
persecutor.
I was kept till the assize; and Judge Turner and Judge
Twisden coming that circuit, I was brought before Judge
Twisden on the 14th day of the month called March, in the
year 1663. When I was set to the bar, I said, “Peace be
amongst you all.” The judge looked upon me, and said,
27“What! do you come into the court with your hat on?”
Upon which, the jailer taking it off, I said, “The hat is not
the honour that comes from God.” Then said the judge to
me, “Will you take the oath of allegiance, George Fox?”
I said, “I never took any oath in my life, nor any covenant
or engagement.” “Well,” said he, “will you swear or not?”
I answered, “I am a Christian, and Christ commands me
‘not to swear,’ and so does the apostle James, and whether I
should obey God or man, do thou judge.” “I ask you again,”
said he, “whether you will swear or not?” I answered
again, “I am neither Turk, Jew, nor heathen, but a Christian,
and should show forth Christianity.” And I asked him,
“if he did not know that Christians in the primitive times,
under the ten persecutions, and some also of the martyrs in
Queen Mary’s days, refused swearing, because Christ and the
apostle had forbidden it?” I told him also, “they had had
experience enough, how many men had first sworn for the
king and then against him. But as for me, I had never taken
an oath in my life; and my allegiance did not lie in swearing,
but in truth and faithfulness; for I honour all men,
much more the king. But Christ, who is the great Prophet,
and King of kings, who is the Saviour of the world, and the
great Judge of all the earth, saith, ‘I must not swear.’ Now,
whether must I obey Christ or thee? For it is in tenderness
of conscience, and in obedience to the commands of Christ,
that I do not swear; and we have the word of a king for
tender consciences.” Then I asked the judge, “if he owned
the king?” “Yes,” said he, “I do own the king.” “Why
then,” said I, “dost thou not observe his declaration from
Breda, and his promises made since he came into England,
‘that no man should be called in question for matters of religion,
so long as he lived peaceably?’ If thou ownest the
king, why dost thou call me into question, and put me upon
taking an oath, which is a matter of religion, seeing neither
thou nor any else can charge me with unpeaceable living?”
Upon this he was moved, and looking angrily at me,
28said, “Sirrah, will you swear?” I told him, “I was none
of his sirrahs, I was a Christian; and for him, an old man
and a judge, to sit there and give nick-names to prisoners, it
did not become either his gray hairs or his office.” “Well,”
said he, “I am a Christian too.” “Then do Christian
works,” said I. “Sirrah!” said he, “thou thinkest to
frighten me with thy words.” Then catching himself, and
looking aside, he said, “Hark! I am using the word [sirrah]
again;” and so checked himself. I said, “I spoke to thee
in love; for that language did not become thee, a judge.
Thou oughtest to instruct a prisoner in the law, if he were
ignorant and out of the way.” “And I speak in love to thee
too,” said he. “But,” said I, “love gives no nick-names.”
Then he roused himself up, and said, “I will not be afraid
of thee, George Fox; thou speakest so loud, thy voice
drowns mine and the court’s; I must call for three or four
criers to drown thy voice: thou hast good lungs.” “I am a
prisoner here,” said I, “for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake; for
his sake do I suffer, for him do I stand this day; and if my
voice were five times louder, I should lift it up, and sound
it for Christ’s sake, for whose cause I stand this day before
your judgment-seat, in obedience to Christ, who commands
not to swear; before whose judgment-seat you must all be
brought and must give an account.” “Well,” said the judge,
“George Fox, say, whether thou wilt take the oath, yea or
nay?” I replied, “I say, as I said before, whether ought I
to obey God or man, judge thou? If I could take any oath
at all, I should take this; for I do not deny some oaths only,
or on some occasions, but all oaths, according to Christ’s
doctrine, who hath commanded his followers not to swear at
all. Now if thou or any of you, or your ministers or priests
here, will prove that ever Christ or his apostles, after they
had forbidden all swearing, commanded Christians to swear,
then I will swear.” I saw several priests there, but not one of
them offered to speak. “Then,” said the judge, “I am a servant
to the king, and the king sent me not to dispute with you,
29but to put the laws in execution; therefore tender him the
oath of allegiance.” “If thou love the king,” said I, “why
dost thou break his word, and not keep his declarations and
speeches, wherein he promised liberty to tender consciences?
I am a man of a tender conscience, and, in obedience to
Christ’s command, I cannot swear.” “Then you will not
swear,” said the judge; “take him away, jailer.” I said,
“It is for Christ’s sake that I cannot swear, and for obedience
to his command I suffer, and so the Lord forgive you all.”
So the jailer took me away; but I felt the mighty power of
the Lord was over them all.
The sixteenth day of the same month I was brought before
Judge Twisden again: he was somewhat offended at
my hat; but it being the last morning of the assize before
he was to leave town, and not many people there, he made
the less of it. He asked me, “whether I would traverse,
stand mute, or submit.” But he spoke so fast that it was
hard to know what he said. However, I told him, “I desired
I might have liberty to traverse the indictment, and
try it.” Then said he, “Take him away, I will have nothing
to do with him, take him away.” I said, “Well, live in the
fear of God, and do justice.” “Why,” said he, “have not I
done you justice?” I replied, “That which thou hast done
has been against the command of Christ.” So I was taken
to the jail again, and kept prisoner till the next assizes.
Some time before this assize, Margaret Fell was sent
prisoner to Lancaster jail by Fleming, Kirby, and Preston,
justices; and at the assize the oath was tendered to her also,
and she was again committed to prison, to lie till the next
assize.
Now Justice Fleming being one of the fiercest and most
violent justices in persecuting Friends, and sending his
honest neighbours to prison for religion’s sake, and many
Friends at this time being in Lancaster jail committed by
him, and some having died in prison, we that were then
prisoners had it upon us to write to him, as follows:—
30
“O Justice Fleming!
“Mercy, compassion, love, and kindness adorn and grace
men and magistrates. O! dost thou not hear the cry of the
widows, and the cry of the fatherless, who were made so
through persecution! Were they not driven, like sheep,
from constable to constable, as though they had been the
greatest transgressors or malefactors in the land? Which
grieved and tendered the hearts of many sober people, to see
how their innocent neighbours and countrymen, who were
of a peaceable carriage, and honest in their lives and conversations
amongst men, were used and served! One more
is dead whom thou sent to prison, having left five children,
both fatherless and motherless. How canst thou do otherwise
than take care of these fatherless infants, and also of
the other’s wife and family? Is it not thy place? Consider
Job (c. xxix). He was a father to the poor, he delivered the
poor that cried, and the fatherless that had none to help.
He broke the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out
of his teeth. But oh! measure thy life and his, and take
heed of the day of God’s eternal judgment, which will come,
and the sentence and decree from Christ, when every man must
give an account, and receive a reward according to his deeds.
Then it will be said, ‘O, where are the months that are past!’
“Again, Justice Fleming, consider, when John Stubbs was
before thee, having a wife and four small children, and little
to live on, but what they honestly got by their own diligence,
as soon as he appeared thou criedst out, ‘Put the oath to that
man.’ And when he confessed that he was but a poor man,
thou hadst no regard; but cast away pity, not hearing what
he would say. And now he is kept in prison, because he
could not swear, and break the command of Christ and the
apostle; it is to be hoped thou wilt take care for his family,
that his children do not starve; and see that they do not
want bread. Can this be allegiance to the king, to do that
which Christ and his apostle say is evil, and brings into condemnation?
Would not you have cast Christ and the apostle
into prison, who commanded ‘not to swear,’ if they had been
in your days?
“Consider also thy poor neighbour, William Wilson,[5]31who was known to all the parish and neighbours to be an
industrious man, and careful to maintain his wife and children;
yet had little, but what he had got with his hands in
diligence and travels to supply himself. How should his
wife maintain her children, when thou hast cast her husband
into prison, and thereby made him incapable of working for
them? Therefore it may be expected, thou wilt have a care
of his wife and children, and see they do not want; for how
should they live, having no other way to be sustained, but
by the little that he got? Surely the noise of this is in the
very markets, the death of thy two neighbours; and the cry of
the widows and fatherless is heard. All those fatherless
and widows are made so for righteousness’ sake. For might
not John Stubbs and William Wilson have had their liberty
still, if they would have sworn, though they had been such
as go after mountebanks and stage-plays, or run a hunting?
“O! consider, for the Lord’s mind is otherwise; he is
tender. And the king hath declared his mind to be, that
there should be no cruelty inflicted upon his peaceable subjects.
Besides, several poor, honest people were fined, who
had need to have something given them; and it had been
more honourable to have given them something, than to fine
them and send them to prison; some of whom live upon the
charity of other people. What honour or grace can it be to
thee, to cast thy poor neighbours into prison who are peaceable,
seeing thou knowest these people cannot do that which
thou requirest of them, if it were to save their lives, or all
that they have? Because in tenderness they cannot take
32any oath, thou makest that a snare to them. What, thinkest
thou, do the people say concerning this? ‘We know,’ say
they, ‘the Quakers’ principle, that keep to Yea and Nay;
but we see others swear and forswear.’ For many of you
have sworn first one way and then another. So we leave it
to the Spirit of God in thy conscience, Justice Fleming, who
wast so eager for the taking of George Fox, and so offended
with them that had not taken him, and now hast fallen upon
thy poor neighbours. But, oh! where is thy pity for their
poor, fatherless children, and motherless infants? O, take
heed of Herod’s hard-heartedness, and casting away all pity!
Esau did so, not Jacob.
“Here is also Thomas Walters, of Bolton, cast into prison,
and the oath imposed on him through thee; and for denying
to swear at all, in obedience to Christ’s command, he is continued
in prison; having five small children, and his wife
near confinement. Surely thou shouldst take care for them
also, and see that his wife and small children do not want;
who are as fatherless, and she as a widow, through thee.
Dost thou not hear in thy ears the cry of the fatherless, and
the cry of the widows, and the blood of the innocent speak,
who through thee have been persecuted to prison, and are
now dead? O! heavy sentence at the day of judgment! How
wilt thou answer, when thou and thy works come to be
judged,—when thou shalt be brought before the judgment-seat
of the Almighty, who in thy prosperity hast made
widows and fatherless for righteousness’ sake, and for tenderness
of conscience towards God? The Lord knows and sees
it! O man! consider in thy life-time, how thou hast stained
33thyself with the blood of the innocent! When thou hadst
power, and might have done good amongst thy peaceable
neighbours, and would not, but used thy power not to a
good intent, but contrary to the Lord’s mind and to the
king’s. The king’s favour, his mercy, and clemency to
sober people, and to tender consciences, have been manifested
by declarations and proclamations, which thou hast
abused and slighted by persecuting his peaceable subjects.
For at London, and in other parts, the Quakers’ meetings
are peaceable; and if thou look but as far as Yorkshire,
where the plot hath been, Friends’ innocency hath cleared
itself in the hearts of sober justices; and for you here to fall
upon your peaceable neighbours and people, and to be rigorous
and violent against them that are tender, godly, and
righteous, it is no honour to you. How many drunkards
and swearers, fighters, and such as are subject to vice, have
you caused to be brought before your courts? It were more
honourable for you to look after such; for the law was not
made for the righteous, but for sinners and transgressors.
Therefore, consider, and be humbled for these things; for
the Lord may do to thee as thou hast done to others; and
thou dost not know how soon there may be a cry in thy own
family, as the cry is amongst thy neighbours, of the fatherless
and widows that are made so through thee. But the
Quakers can and do say, ‘the Lord forgive thee, and lay not
these things to thy charge, if it be his will.’”[6]
Besides this, which went in the name of many, I sent
him also a line subscribed by myself only, and directed:—
“To Daniel Fleming.
“Friend,
“Thou hast imprisoned the servants of the Lord, without
the breach of any law; therefore take heed what thou
34doest, for in the light of the Lord God thou art seen, lest the
hand of the Lord be turned against thee!”
G. F.
It was not long after this ere Fleming’s wife died, and
left him thirteen or fourteen motherless children.
When I was prisoner at Lancaster, there was prisoner
also one Major Wiggan, a Baptist preacher. He boasted much
beforehand what he would say at the assize, if the oath should
be put to him; and that he would refuse to swear. But
when the assize came, and the oath was tendered him, he
desired time to consider of it; and that being granted him
till the next assize, he got leave to go to London before the
assize came again, and stayed there till the plague broke
forth, and there both he and his wife were cut off. He was
a very wicked man, and the judgments of God came upon
him; for he had published a book against Friends, full of
lies and blasphemies; the occasion of which was this.
Whilst he was in Lancaster castle he challenged Friends to a
dispute. Whereupon I got leave of the jailer to go up to
them; and entering into discourse with him, he affirmed,
“that some men never had the Spirit of God, and that the
true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into
the world, is natural.” For proof of his first assertion he
instanced Balaam, affirming, “that Balaam had not the Spirit
of God.” I affirmed and proved, “that Balaam had the
Spirit of God, and that wicked men have the Spirit of God;
else how could they quench it, and vex it, and grieve it, and
resist the Holy Ghost, like the stiff-necked Jews?” To his
second assertion I answered, “that the true light, which enlighteneth
every man that cometh into the world, was the
life in the Word, and that was divine and eternal, and not
natural; and he might as well say that the Word was natural,
as that the life in the Word was natural. And wicked men
were enlightened by this light, else how could they hate it?
Now it is expressly said, that they did hate it; and the
reason given why they hated it was, because ‘their deeds
were evil;’ and they would not come to it, because it reproved
35them; and that must needs be in them, that reproved
them. Besides, that light could not be the Scriptures of the
New Testament, for it was testified of before any part of the
New Testament was written; so it must be the divine light,
which is the life in Christ, the Word, before the Scriptures
were. And the grace of God, which brought salvation, had
appeared unto all men, and taught the saints; but they that
turned it into wantonness, and walked despitefully against
the Spirit of Grace, were the wicked. Again, the Spirit of
Truth, the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, which leads the
disciples of Christ into all truth, the same should reprove the
world of sin, of righteousness, of judgment, and of their unbelief.
So the wicked world had it to reprove them; and
the true disciples and learners of Christ, that believed in the
light as Christ commands, had it to lead them. But the
world that did not believe in the light, though they were
lighted; but hated the light which they should have believed
in, and loved the darkness rather than it,—this world had a
righteousness and a judgment, which the Holy Ghost reproved
them for, as well as for their unbelief.” Having
proved that the good and the bad were enlightened, that the
grace of God had appeared unto all, and that all had the
Spirit of God, else they could not vex and grieve it, I told
Major Wiggan, the least babe there might see him; and
presently one Richard Cubban stood up, and proved him an
antichrist and a deceiver by Scripture. Then the jailer had me
away to my prison again. Afterwards Wiggan wrote a book
of this dispute, and put in abundance of abominable lies;
but it was soon answered in print, and himself not long after
was cut off, as aforesaid.
This Wiggan was poor, and while he was a prisoner at
Lancaster, he sent into the country, and got money gathered
for relief of the poor people of God in prison; and many
people gave freely, thinking it had been for us, when indeed
it was for himself. But when we heard of it, we laid it upon
him, and wrote also into the country, that Friends might
36let the people know the truth of the matter, that it was not
our manner to have collections made for us; and that those
collections were only for Wiggan and another, a drunken
preacher of his society.
After this it came upon me to write to the judges, and
other magistrates, concerning their “giving evil words and
nick-names to such as were brought before them;” which was
after this manner:—
“To all you that be Judges, or other officers whatsoever, in
the whole world, who profess yourselves to be Christians.
“Friends,
“Herein and by reading the Scriptures, ye may see both
your own words and behaviour, and the words and practice
of both Jews and Heathens, and of the King of Kings, the
great Lawgiver and Judge of the whole world. First, for the
words and carriage of the Jews, when such as were worthy
of death were brought before the rulers amongst them. When
Achan had taken the Babylonish garment, and the two
hundred shekels of silver, and the wedge of gold of fifty
shekels weight, and Joshua, who was then judge of Israel,
had by lot found him out, he did not say unto him, Sirrah,[7]
nor, you rascal, knave, rogue, as some, that are called Christian
magistrates, are too apt to do. But Joshua said unto Achan,
‘My son’ (mark his clean language, his savoury expression
and gracious words), ‘My son,’ said he, ‘give, I pray thee,
glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto
him, and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from
me.’ Then Achan confessed, that he had sinned against the
Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus he had done. Then
Joshua the judge said, ‘Why hast thou troubled Israel? The
Lord shall trouble thee this day.’ And they stoned him and
his with stones, and burnt his goods with fire. But there
was no unsavoury word given to him that we read of, though
he was worthy of death. Josh. vii.
“So when the man that gathered sticks upon the Sabbath-day
was taken and brought before Moses, the judge of Israel,
and put in ward until the mind of the Lord was known concerning
him, we read not of any reviling language given him,
but the Lord said to Moses, and Moses to the people, ‘The
37man shall surely be put to death.’ Numb. xv. 35.
“Likewise in the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and
Abiram, where Moses called them to trial, he did not sirrah
them or miscall them, but said to Korah and the rest, ‘Hear,
I pray you, ye sons of Levi,’ Numb. xvi. 8. And when he
gave the sentence against them, he said, ‘If‘If these men die
the common death of all men,’ &c. He did not say, If these
rascals or knaves, as many that profess themselves Christians
now do.
“When Elihu spoke to Job, who was a judge, and to his
friends, and said, ‘Let me not, I pray you, accept any man’s
person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man, for I
know not to give flattering titles: in so doing my Maker
would soon take me away,’ Job xxxii. Job did not say,
‘Sirrah, hold thy tongue,’ nor give him any unsavoury expression.
Then for the words of David and Solomon, and
other kings and officers, see in the books of the Kings and
Chronicles the savoury language that they gave to them that
were brought before them; nay, though Shimei cursed David
the king, yet neither did David then, or afterwards, nor
Solomon, when he caused him to be put to death, give him
any reproachful language, or so much as call him sirrah;
2 Sam. xvi. and 1 Kings ii.
“Read the prophecies of Isaiah and Micah, Jeremiah,
Ezekiel, and the rest of the prophets, who prophesied to
several people, and against rulers, kings, and magistrates;
yet where can it be found, that they had any bad language
given them, as sirrah, or the like, by any ruler either of the
Jews or heathens? Nay, though Jeremiah was cast into
prison, and into the dungeon, yet there was no such word as
sirrah, or knave given to him. Jer. xxxvii.
“Then for the words and carriage of the heathens:
when Abraham was brought before Abimelech, who was a
king, he gave Abraham no unsavoury expressions, Gen. xx.
And when Isaac came before Abimelech, he gave him no
taunting language either, Gen. xxvi. When Joseph was cast
into prison, and that in Egypt, we do not read that he had
any railing language given him, Gen. xxxix. Neither did
Pharaoh, when Moses and Aaron appeared before him, give
them bad language, as sirrah, knave, or the like.
“When Nebuchadnezzar sentenced the three children
to the fiery furnace, there was no such language given them
as sirrah, knave, rascal; but he called them by the names
they were known by, Dan. iii. And when Daniel was brought
before Darius, and sentenced to be cast into the lions’ den,
he had no such names given him, as many give now, who
call those rulers heathens, but themselves Christians.
38“If ye look into the New Testament, in the parable of
the wedding supper, the king, that came to view his guests,
did not say unto him that was found without a wedding-garment,
‘Sirrah, how camest thou in hither?’ but, ‘Friend,
how camest thou in hither?’ &c., though he was one that
was to be bound hand and foot, and cast into outer darkness,
Matt. xxii. Nay, when Judas had betrayed his master
Christ Jesus, the Lord of life, and had sold him to the
priests, Christ did not call him sirrah, when he came to
apprehend him, but friend: Matt. xxvi. 50. Stephen in his
examination, sentence, and death, had no such reproachful
word given him as sirrah, or knave, Acts vi. and vii. When
the apostles Peter and John were brought before the high
priest and rulers of the Jews, and commanded not to preach
in the name of Jesus, Acts iv., they were not called sirrah,
or knaves, nor had they any such ill names given them.
And when Paul and Silas were cast into prison by the magistrates,
there was no such word given them in their examination,
nor in their sentence, Acts xvi. They called them
men, not rogues, sirrahs, or knaves. And when the magistrates
had done contrary to law, they feared. So ye may see
how short of this example many are, that call themselves
Christian rulers, who are not afraid to cast innocent people
into prison, and give them ill names besides, below both
Jews and Heathens.
“When the uproar was at Ephesus about Diana’s shrine,
Demetrius, who bore great sway among the craftsmen, did
not call Paul sirrah, but Paul, Acts xix. And when Paul
was brought prisoner before the high-priest Ananias, and
the council of the Jews, and told them he had lived in all
good conscience towards God until that day, though they,
who professed the Scriptures but lived out of the life of
them, could not bear to hear of living in a good conscience,
as professors of the Scriptures now, that live not in the life,
cannot bear to hear of living in a good conscience now-a-days:
but Ananias caused Paul to be smitten on the mouth;
yet he did not call him knave or sirrah, Acts xxiii. The
apostate Jews indeed, who, though they professed Scripture,
were out of the life thereof, and had rejected Christ, in accusing
Paul before the Roman magistrates, did once call
him a ‘pestilent fellow,’ Acts xxiv., as the accusing professors
who live out of the life will sometimes call us now. But
Felix gave Paul no such language; neither did Festus nor
King Agrippa, in all their examinations of him, give him
any such words as sirrah, rascal, knave, or the like, but heard
him patiently. So now Christians may see through all the
Scriptures, that when any persons were brought before rulers,
39kings, or magistrates, whether Jews or Heathens, they did
not use to call them evil names, as sirrah, rascal, knave, and
the like; they had no such fouled-mouthed language in their
courts, nor did they use to say to them, ‘Sirrah, put off your
hat.’ Now, ye that profess Christianity, and say the Scripture
is your rule, may see, that more corrupt words proceed
out of your mouths, than either out of the Jews or Heathens,
if ye will try your practice by the Scriptures. And doth not
the apostle tell you, that no corrupt communication should
proceed out of your mouths, and that your words should be
gracious? Now I query, where and whence ye, that call
yourselves Christians, have got all these bad words and
names, seeing neither God, nor Christ, nor the prophets, nor
the judges, nor kings, nor rulers, ever gave any such names, so
far as appears by Scripture, either amongst Heathens, Jews,
or Christians?”
G.F.
Before the next assizes, there was a quarter-sessions
held at Lancaster by the justices; to which though we were
not brought, I put Friends upon drawing up an account of
their sufferings, and laying them before the justices in their
open sessions. For Friends had suffered deeply by fines and
distresses, the bailiffs and officers, making great havock and
spoil of their goods, but no redress was afforded.
And because some evil-minded magistrates would tell
us sometimes of the late plot in the North, we gave forth the
following paper to stop their mouths, and to clear truth and
Friends therefrom.
A Testimony from the people of God, whom the world calls
Quakers, to all magistrates and officers, of what sort soever,
from the highest to the lowest.
“We are peaceable, and seek the peace, good, and welfare
of all, as in our lives and peaceable conduct is manifested;
and we desire the eternal good and welfare of all, and their
souls’ everlasting peace. We are become heirs of the blessing
before the curse was, and of the power of God before the
devil was, and before the fall of man. We are heirs of
the gospel of peace, which is the power of God; and we
are heirs of Christ, who have inherited him and his everlasting
kingdom, and do possess the power of an endless
life. Knowing this our portion and inheritance, this is to
remove all jealousies out of your minds, and out of the minds
40of all people concerning us, that all plots and conspiracies,
plotters and conspirators against the king, and all aiders and
assisters thereunto, we always did and do utterly deny to be
of us, or to be of the fellowship of the gospel of Christ’s
kingdom, or his servants. For Christ said, ‘his kingdom
was not of this world; if it were his servants would fight.’
And therefore he bid Peter ‘put up his sword, for,’ said he,
‘he that taketh the sword, shall perish with the sword.’ Here
is the faith and patience of the saints, to bear and suffer all
things, knowing that vengeance is the Lord’s, and he
will repay it to them that hurt his people, and wrong the
innocent. Therefore we cannot avenge, but suffer for his
name’s sake. We know that the Lord will judge the world
in righteousness, according to their deeds, and that, when
every one shall give an account to him of the ‘deeds done
in the body,’ then will the Lord give every man according
to his works, whether they be good or evil. Christ said,
he came not to ‘destroy men’s lives;’ and when his disciples
would have had ‘fire to come down from heaven,’ to consume
them that did not receive him, he told them, ‘they knew
not what spirit they were of,’ that would have men’s lives
destroyed, and therefore he rebuked them and told them,
‘that he came not to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.’
We are of Christ’s mind, who is the great Prophet, whom all
ought to hear in all things, who saith to his, ‘if they strike
thee on one cheek, turn the other; and render to no one evil
for evil.’ This doctrine of his we have learned, and not only
confess him in words, but follow his doctrine; therefore we
suffer all manner of reproaches, scandals, slanders, spoiling
of goods, buffetings, whippings, stripes, and imprisonments,
for these many years; and can say, ‘the Lord forgive them
that have thus served us, and lay not these things to their
charge.’ And we know that the Jews’ outward sword, by
which they cut down the Heathen outwardly, was a type
of the inward sword of the Spirit, which cuts down the inward
Heathen, the raging nature in people. The blood of
bulls, lambs, rams, and other offerings, and that priesthood
which offered them, together with other things
in the law, were types of Christ, the one offering, and of his
blood, who is the everlasting priest and covenant, our life
and way to God, the great prophet and shepherd, the head
of his church, and the great bishop of our souls, whom we
witness come; and he doth oversee and keep his flock. For
in Adam, in the fall, we know the striving, quarrelling, unpeaceable
spirits are in the enmity one with another, and not in
peace; but in Christ Jesus, the second Adam, that never fell,
is peace, rest and life. The doctrine of Christ, who never
41sinned, is, to ‘love one another;’ and they who are in this
doctrine, hurt no man; in which we are, in Christ, who is our
life.
“Therefore it is well for you to distinguish between the
precious and the vile, between them that fear God and serve
him, and them that do not; and to make a difference between
the innocent and the guilty, between him that is holy
and pure, and the ungodly and profane; for they that do
not so, bring troubles, burthens, and sorrows upon themselves.
This we write in love to your souls, that ye may
consider these things; for we cannot say that they who hate
enemies and one another, are of God, or in Christ’s doctrine,
but are opposers of it. And such as wrestle with flesh and
blood, with carnal weapons, are gone into the flesh, out of
the Spirit. They are not in our fellowship in the Spirit,
in which is the bond of peace; neither are they of us, nor
have we unity with them in their fleshly state, and with their
carnal weapons. For our unity and fellowship stand in the
gospel, which is the power of God, before the devil was, the
liar, and the murderer, the man-slayer, and the envious.
Christ’s mind and his doctrine being to save men’s lives, we,
who are of Christ’s mind, are out of, and above these things.
And our desire is, that in the fear of the Lord, ye may all
live, and receive God’s wisdom, by which all things were
created, that by it all may be ordered to his glory.
“This is from them that love all your souls, and seek
your eternal good.”
Being now a prisoner in Lancaster Castle, a deep sense
came upon me of a day of sore trial and exercise that was
come and coming upon all who had been in high profession
of religion; and I was moved to give forth the following
paper as a warning to such:—
“Now is the day that every one’s faith and love to God
and Christ will be tried; they who are redeemed out of the
earth, and they who are in the earth, will be manifested; and
who is the master they serve, and whether they will run to
the mountains to cover them. Now will it appear who are
the stony ground, who are the thorny ground, and who are
the highway ground, in whom the fowls of the air take away
the seed, and the thorns and cares of the world choke, and
the heat of persecution scorches and burns up your green
blade; for the day trieth all things. Therefore let not such as
forsake truth, for saving the earth, say that your brother priest
only ‘serveth not the Lord Jesus Christ, but his own belly,
and mindeth earthly things,’ for such themselves also do
42the same, and hug and embrace self, and not the Lord.
Now it will be made manifest, who is every one’s God,
Christ, and Saviour, and their love will be manifest,
whether it be of the world, or of God; for if it be the love
of the world, it is enmity, and the enmity will manifest itself
what it is; and the day will try every spirit and his fruits.
Therefore, my dear friends, in the everlasting Seed of God
live, that is over all the house of Adam and his works in the
fall; and so dwelling in the Seed, Christ, that never fell, in
him you all have virtue, life, and peace, and through him ye
will overcome all that is in the fall.”
G.F.
I wrote also another epistle to Friends, to warn them to
keep out of the spirit, that wrought in John Perrot and his
company against the truth:—
“Dear Friends,
“Dwell in the love of God, and in his righteousness;
that will preserve you above all changeable spirits, that dwell
not in the truth, but in quarrels. Avoid such, and keep your
habitations in the truth. Dwell in the truth, and in the
Word of God, by which ye are reconciled to him. Keep
your meetings in the name of Jesus Christ, who never fell;
then ye will see over all the gatherings of Adam’s sons and
daughters, you being met in the life over them all, in which
are your unity, peace, and fellowship with God, and one with
another, in the life, in which ye may enjoy God’s presence
among you. So remember me to all Friends in the everlasting
Seed of God. The fellowship of all those that are
got into fellowship in outward things, will corrupt and
wither away. Therefore live in the gospel, the power of God,
which was before the devil was. This fellowship in the
gospel, the power of God, is a mystery to all the fellowships
of the world. So look over all outward sufferings, and look
at the Lord, and the Lamb, who is the First and the Last,
the Amen; in whom farewell.”
G.F.
In the sixth month, the assizes were held again at Lancaster,
and the same judges, Twisden and Turner, came that
circuit again; but Judge Turner then sat on the crown bench,
and so I was brought before him. Before I was called to the
bar, I was put among the murderers and felons for about two
hours, the people, the justices, and the judge, also gazing
upon me. After they had tried several others, they called
me to the bar, and empannelled a jury. Then the judge
43asked the justices, “whether they had tendered me the oath
at the sessions.” They said, “they had.” Then he bid,
“give them the book, that they might swear they had tendered
me the oath according to the indictment.” Some of
the justices refused to be sworn; but the judge said, he
would have it done, to take away all occasion of exception.
When the jury were sworn, and the justices had sworn that
“they had tendered me the oath according to the indictment,”
the judge asked me, “whether I had not refused the oath at
the last assizes?” I said, “I never took an oath in my life,
and Christ, the Saviour and Judge of the world, said, ‘Swear
not at all.’” The judge seemed not to take notice of my
answer, but asked me, “whether or not I had refused to take
the oath at the last assizes?” I said, “the words that I
then spoke to them were, that if they could prove, either
judge, justices, priest, or teacher, that after Christ
and the apostle had forbidden swearing, they commanded
that Christians should swear, I would swear.” The judge said
he was not at that time to dispute, whether it was lawful to
swear, but to inquire whether I had refused to take the oath
or not, I told him, “those things mentioned in the oath, as
plotting against the king, and owning the Pope’s, or any
other foreign power, I utterly deny.” “Well,” said he,
“you say well in that, but did you deny to take the oath?
what say you?” “What wouldst thou have me to say?”
said I; “for I have told thee before what I did say.” Then
he asked me, “if I would have these men to swear, that I
had taken the oath?” I asked him, “If he would have
those men to swear, that I had refused the oath?” at which
the court burst out into laughter. I was grieved to see so
much lightness in a court, where such solemn matters are
handled, and thereupon asked them, “if this court was a
play-house? where is gravity and sobriety? for this behaviour
doth not become you.”
Then the clerk read the indictment, and I told the judge,
“I had something to speak to it;” for I had informed myself
44of the errors that were in it. He told me, “he would
hear afterwards any reasons that I could allege, why he
should not give judgment.” Then I spoke to the jury, and told
them, “that they could not bring me in guilty according to
that indictment, for the indictment was wrong laid, and had
many gross errors in it.” The judge said, “I must not speak to
the jury, but he would speak to them,” and he told them I
had denied to take the oath at the last assizes; and, said he,
“I can tender the oath to any man now, and premunire him
for not taking it;” and he said, they must bring me in guilty,
seeing I refused to take the oath. Then said I, “What do
ye do with a form? ye may throw away your form then.”
And I told the jury, “it lay upon their consciences, as they
would answer it to the Lord God, before his judgment-seat.”
Then the judge spoke again to the jury, and I called to him
to “do me justice.” The jury brought me in guilty. Whereupon
I told them, that “both the justices and they had foresworn
themselves, and therefore they had small cause to
laugh, as they did a little before.” O! the envy, rage, and
malice that appeared against me, and the lightness; but the
Lord confounded them, and they were wonderfully stopped.
So they set me aside, and called up Margaret Fell, who had
much good service among them; and then the court broke
up near the second hour.
In the afternoon we were brought again to have sentence
passed upon us. Margaret Fell desired, that sentence might
be deferred till the next morning. I desired nothing but
law and justice at his hands, for thieves had mercy; only I
requested the judge to send some one to see my prison,
which was so bad, they would put no creature they had in it;
and I told him, that Colonel Kirby, who was then on the
bench, said, “I should be locked up, and no flesh alive should
come to me.” The judge shook his head, and said, “when
the sentence was given, he would leave me to the favour of
the jailer.” Most of the gentry of the country were gathered
together, expecting to hear the sentence; and the noise among
45the people was, “that I should be transported.” But they
were all crossed at that time; for the sentence being deferred
till next morning, I was sent to prison again. Upon my
complaining of the badness of my prison, some of the justices,
with Colonel Kirby, went up to see it; but when they came,
they durst hardly go in, the floor was so bad and dangerous,
and the place so open to wind and rain. Some that came up
said, “sure it was a jakes-house.” When Colonel Kirby saw
it, and heard what others said of it, he excused the matter as
well as he could, saying, “I should be removed ere long to
some more convenient place.”
Next day, towards eleven, we were called again to hear the
sentence; and Margaret Fell being called first to the bar, had
counsel to plead, who found many errors in her indictment;
whereupon, after the judge had acknowledged them, she was
set by. Then the judge asked, “what they could say to
mine?” I was not willing to let any man plead for me, but
to speak to it myself; and indeed, though Margaret had
some that pleaded for her, yet she spoke as much herself as
she would. But before I came to the bar, I was moved in
my spirit to pray, that God would confound their wickedness
and envy, set his truth over all, and exalt his Seed. The
Lord heard and answered, and did confound them in their
proceedings against me; and though they had most envy
against me, yet the most gross errors were found in my indictment.
Now, I having put by others from pleading for me, the
judge asked me, “what I had to say, why he should not pass
sentence upon me?” I told him, “I was no lawyer, but I
had much to say, if he would have patience to hear.” At
that he laughed, and others laughed also, and said, “Come,
what have you to say? he can say nothing.” “Yes,” said I,
“I have much to say, have but the patience to hear me.”
Then I asked him, “whether the oath was to be tendered to
the king’s subjects, or to the subjects of foreign princes?”
He said, “to the subjects of this realm.” “Then,” said I,
46“look at the indictment, and ye may see that ye have left
out the word, subject: so not having named me in the indictment
as a subject, ye cannot premunire me for not taking
the oath.” Then they looked over the statute and the indictment,
and saw that it was as I said; and the judge confessed
it was an error.
I told him, “I had something else to stop his judgment;”
and I desired him to look what day the indictment said the
oath was tendered to me at the sessions there. They looked,
and said, “it was the eleventh day of January.” “What
day of the week were the sessions held on?” said I. “On a
Tuesday,” said they. “Then,” said I, “look at your almanacs,
and see whether there were any sessions held at Lancaster on
the eleventh day of January, so called?” So they looked,
and found that the eleventh was the day called Monday, and
that the sessions were on the day called Tuesday, which was
the twelfth day of that month. “Look now,” said I, “ye
have indicted me for refusing the oath in the quarter sessions
held at Lancaster on the eleventh day of January last, and
the justices have sworn that they tendered me the oath in
open sessions here that day, and the jury upon their oaths
have found me guilty thereupon; and yet ye see there were
no sessions held in Lancaster that day.” Then the judge, to
cover the matter, asked, “whether the sessions did not begin
on the eleventh?” But some in the court answered, “no;
the sessions held but one day, and that was the twelfth.”
Then the judge said, “this was a great mistake, and an error.”
Some of the justices were in a great rage at this, and were
ready to quit the bench; they stamped and said, “who hath
done this? somebody hath done it on purpose;” and a great
heat was amongst them. “Then,” said I, “are not the
justices here, that have sworn to this indictment, forsworn
men in the face of the country? But this is not all,” said I,
“I have more yet to offer why sentence should not be given
against me.”
Then I asked, “in what year of the king the last assize
47here was holden, which was in the month called March last?”
The judge said, “it was in the sixteenth year of the king.”
“But,” said I, “the indictment says it was in the fifteenth
year.” They looked, and found it so. This also was acknowledged
to be another error. Then they were all in a
fret again, and could not tell what to say; for the judge had
sworn the officers of the court, that the oath was tendered to
me at the assize mentioned in the indictment. “Now,” said
I, “is not the court here forsworn also, who have sworn that
the oath was tendered to me at the assize holden here in the
fifteenth year of the king, when it was in his sixteenth year,
and so they have sworn a year false?” The judge bid them
look whether Margaret Fell’s indictment was so or not. They
looked, and found it was not so.
I told the judge, “I had more yet to offer to stop
sentence;” and asked him, “whether all the oath ought to
be put into the indictment or not?” “Yes,” said he, “it
ought to be all put in.” “Then,” said I, “compare the indictment
with the oath, and there thou mayest see these
words, viz. [or by any authority derived, or pretended to be
derived from him, or his see] left out of the indictment,
which is a principal part of the oath, and in another place
the words [heirs and successors] are left out.” The judge
acknowledged these also to be great errors. “But,” said I,
“I have something further to allege.” “Nay,” said the
judge, “I have enough, you need say no more.” “If,” said I,
“thou hast enough, I desire nothing but law and justice at
thy hands, for I don’t look for mercy.” “You must have
justice,” said he, “and you shall have law.” Then I asked,
“Am I at liberty and free from all that hath ever been done
against me in this matter?” “Yes,” said the judge, “you
are free from all that hath been done against you. But then,”
starting up in a rage, he said, “I can put the oath to any
man here, and I will tender you the oath again.” I told him,
“he had examples enough yesterday of swearing and false-swearing,
both in the justices and the jury; for I saw before
48mine eyes, that both justices and jury had forsworn themselves.”
The judge asked me, “if I would take the oath?”
“I bid him do me justice for my false imprisonment all this
while; for what had I been imprisoned so long for? and I
told him I ought to be set at liberty.” “You are at liberty,”
said he, “but I will put the oath to you again.” Then I
turned me about and said, “All people, take notice, this is a
snare, for I ought to be set free from the jailer and from this
court.” But the judge cried, “Give him the book;” and the
sheriff and the justices cried, “Give him the book.” Then
the power of darkness rose up in them, like a mountain, and
a clerk lifted up a book to me. I stood still and said, “If it
be a Bible, give it me into my hand.” “Yes, yes,” said the
judge and justices, “give it him into his hand.” So I took
it and looked into it, and said, “I see it is a Bible, I am glad
of it.”
Now he had caused the jury to be called, and they stood
by; for after they had brought in their former verdict, he
would not dismiss them, though they desired it; but told
them, “he could not dismiss them yet, for he should have
business for them, and therefore they must attend and be
ready when they were called.” When he said so, I felt his
intent, that if I was freed, he would come on again. So I
looked him in the face, and the witness of God started up in
him, and made him blush when he looked at me again, for
he saw that I saw him. Nevertheless, hardening himself,
he caused the oath to be read to me, the jury standing by;
and when it was read, he asked me, “whether I would take
the oath or not?” Then said I, “Ye have given me a book
here to kiss and to swear on, and this book which ye have
given me to kiss, says, ‘Kiss the Son;’ and the Son says in
this book, ‘Swear not at all;’ and so says also the apostle
James. Now, I say as the book says, and yet ye imprison
me; how chance ye do not imprison the book for saying so?
How comes it that the book is at liberty amongst you, which
bids me not swear, and yet ye imprison me for doing as the
49book bids me? Why don’t ye imprison the book?” As I
was speaking this to them, and held up the Bible open in
my hand, to show them the place in the book, where Christ
forbids swearing, they plucked the book out of my hand
again; and the judge said, “Nay, but we will imprison
George Fox.” Yet this got abroad over all the country as a
by-word, “that they gave me a book to swear on, that commanded
me ‘not to swear at all;’ and that the Bible was at
liberty, and I in prison for doing as the Bible said.”
Now when the judge still urged me to swear, I told him,
“I never took oath, covenant, or engagement in my life, but
my yea or nay was more binding to me than an oath was to
many others; for had they not had experience how little
men regarded an oath; and how they had sworn one way
and then another; and how the justices and court had forsworn
themselves now?” I told him, ‘I was a man of a
tender conscience, and if they had any sense of a tender conscience,
they would consider, that it was in obedience to
Christ’s command that I could not swear. “But,” said I,
“if any of you can convince me, that after Christ and the
apostle had commanded not to swear, they altered that command
and commanded Christians to swear; then ye shall
see I will swear.” There being many priests by, I said, “if
ye cannot do it, let your priests stand up and do it.” But
not one of the priests made any answer. “O,” said the judge,
“all the world cannot convince you.” “No,” said I, “how
is it like the world should convince me; for ‘the whole
world lies in wickedness;’ but bring out your spiritual men,
as ye call them, to convince me.” Then both the sheriff and
the judge said, “the angel swore in the Revelations.” I
replied, “when God bringeth in his first-begotten Son into
the world, he saith, ‘Let all the angels of God worship
him;’ and he saith, ‘swear not at all.’” “Nay,” said the
judge, “I will not dispute.” Then I spoke to the jury,
telling them, “it was for Christ’s sake that I could not swear,
and therefore I warned them not to act contrary to that of
50God in their consciences, for before his judgment-seat they
must all be brought.” And I told them, “that as for plots
and persecution for religion and Popery, I do deny them in
my heart; for I am a Christian, and shall show forth Christianity
amongst you this day. It is for Christ’s doctrine I
stand.” More words I had both with the judge and jury
before the jailer took me away.
In the afternoon I was brought up again, and put among
the thieves some time, where I stood with my hat on till the
jailer took it off. Then the jury having found this new
indictment against me “for not taking the oath,” I was
called to the bar; and the judge asked me, “what I would
say for myself:” I bid them read the indictment, for I would
not answer to that which I did not hear. The clerk read it,
and as he read the judge said, “take heed it be not false again;”
but he read it in such a manner that I could hardly understand
what he read. When he had done, the judge asked
me, “what I said to the indictment?” I told him, “at once
hearing so large a writing read, and at such a distance that
I could not distinctly hear all the parts of it, I could not well
tell what to say to it; but if he would let me have a copy,
and give me time to consider it, I would answer it.” This
put them to a little stand; but after a while the judge asked
me “what time I would have?” I said, “till the next
assize.” “But,” said he, “what plea will you now make?
are you guilty or not guilty?” I said, “I am not guilty at
all of denying swearing obstinately and wilfully; and as for
those things mentioned in the oath, as jesuitical plots and
foreign powers, I utterly deny them in my heart; and if I
could take any oath, I should take that; but I never took
any oath in my life.” The judge said, “I said well; but,”
said he, “the king is sworn, the parliament is sworn, I am
sworn, the justices are sworn, and the law is preserved by
oaths.” I told him, “they had had sufficient experience of
men’s swearing, and he had seen how the justices and jury
had sworn wrongly the other day; and if he had read in the
51Book of Martyrs how many of the martyrs had refused to
swear, both within the time of the ten persecutions and in
Bishop Bonner’s days, he might see, that to deny swearing
in obedience to Christ’s command was no new thing.” He
said, “he wished the laws were otherwise.” I said, “Our
Yea is yea, and our Nay is nay; and if we transgress our yea
and our nay, let us suffer as they do, or should do, that swear
falsely.” This, I told him, we had offered to the king; and
the king said, “it was reasonable.” After some further discourse,
they committed me to prison again, there to lie till
the next assize; and Colonel Kirby gave order to the jailer,
“to keep me close, and suffer no flesh alive to come at me,
for I was not fit,” he said, “to be discoursed with by men.”
Then I was put into a tower, where the smoke of the
other prisoners came up so thick, that it stood as dew upon
the walls, and sometimes it was so thick that I could hardly
see the candle when it burned; and I being locked under
three locks, the under-jailer, when the smoke was great,
would hardly be persuaded to come up to unlock one of the
uppermost doors, for fear of the smoke, so that I was almost
smothered. Besides, it rained in upon my bed, and many
times, when I went to stop out the rain in the cold winter
season, my shirt was wet through with the rain that came in
upon me, while I was labouring to stop it out. And the
place being high and open to the wind, sometimes as fast as
I stopped it, the wind blew it out again. In this manner
did I lie, all that long cold winter, till the next assize; in
which time I was so starved with cold and rain, that my
body was greatly swelled, and my limbs much benumbed.
The assize began on the 16th day of the month called
March, 1664-5. The same Judges, Twisden and Turner,
coming that circuit again, Judge Twisden sat this time on
the crown-bench, and before him I was brought. I had informed
myself of the errors in this indictment also. For
though at the assize before, Judge Turner had said to the
officers in court, “Pray see that all the oath be in the indictment,
52and that the word, subject, be in, and that the day of
the month and the year of the king be put in right; for it is
a shame that so many errors should be seen and found in
the face of the country;” yet there were many errors, and
those great ones, in this indictment, as well as in the former.
Surely the hand of the Lord was in it, to confound their
mischievous work against me, and to blind them therein;
insomuch, that although after the indictment was drawn at
the former assize, the judge examined it himself and tried it
with the clerks, yet the word, subject, was left out of this
indictment also, the day of the month was put in wrong, and
several material words of the oath were left out; yet they
went on confidently against me, thinking all was safe and
well.
When I was set to the bar, and the jury called over to
be sworn, the clerk asked me, first, “whether I had any objection
to make against any of the jury?” I told him, “I
knew none of them.” Then, having sworn the jury, they
swore three of the officers of the court to prove “that the
oath was tendered to me at the last assizes, according to the
indictment.” “Come, come,” said the judge, “it was not
done in a corner.” Then he asked me, “what I had said to
it, or whether I had taken the oath at the last assize?” I
told him, what I had said, viz., “that the book they gave me
to swear on, says, ‘swear not at all;’” and I repeated more
of what I had formerly said to them, as it now came to my
remembrance. Whereupon the judge said, “I will not dispute
with you, but in point of law.” “Then,” said I, “I
have something to speak to the jury concerning the indictment.”
He told me, I must not speak to the jury, but if I
had anything to say, I must speak to him. Then I asked
him, “whether the oath was to be tendered to the king’s
subjects only, or to the subjects of foreign princes?” He
replied, “to the subjects of this realm; for I will speak
nothing to you,” said he, “but in point of law.” “Then,”
said I, “look in the indictment, and thou mayest see that
53the word, subject, is left out of this indictment also. And
therefore seeing the oath is not to be tendered to any but
the subjects of this realm, and ye have not put me in as a
subject, the court is to take no notice of this indictment.” I
had no sooner spoken than the judge cried, “Take him away,
jailer, take him away.” So I was presently hurried away.
The jailer and people looked when I should be called for
again; but I was never brought to the court any more, though
I had many other great errors to assign in the indictment.
After I was gone, the judge asked the jury, “if they
were agreed?” They said, “yes,” and found for the king
against me as I was told. But I was never called to hear
sentence given, nor was any given against me, that I could
hear of. I understood that when they had looked more
narrowly into the indictment, they saw it was not good:
and the judge having sworn the officers of the court, that
the oath was tendered me at the assize before, such a day,
according as was set in the indictment, and that being the
wrong day, I should have proved the officers of the court forsworn
men again, if the judge would have suffered me to plead
to the indictment; which was thought to be the reason why
he hurried me away so soon. The judge had passed sentence
of premunire upon Margaret Fell, before I was brought in;
and it seems, when I was hurried away, they recorded me
as a premunired person, though I was never brought to hear
the sentence or knew of it; which was very illegal. For
they ought not only to have had me present to hear the sentence
given, but also to have asked me first, “what I could
say why sentence should not be given against me?” But
they knew I had so much to say, that they could not give
sentence, if they heard it.
While I was prisoner in Lancaster castle, there was a
great noise and talk of the Turk’s overspreading Christendom,
and great fears entered many. But one day as I was walking
in my prison chamber, “I saw the Lord’s power turn against
him, and that he was turning back again.” And I declared
54to some what the Lord had let me see, when there were such
fears of his over-running Christendom; and within a month
after the news came, that they had given him a defeat.
Another time, as I was walking in my chamber, with
my eye to the Lord, “I saw the angel of the Lord with a
glittering drawn sword stretched southward, as though the
court had been all on fire.” Not long after the wars broke
out with Holland, the sickness broke forth, and afterwards
the fire of London; so the Lord’s sword was drawn indeed.
By reason of my long and close imprisonment in so bad
a place, I was become very weak in body; but the Lord’s
power was over all, supported me through all, and enabled
me to do service for him, and for his truth and people, as
the place would admit. For while I was in Lancaster prison,
I answered several books, as the Mass, the Common-Prayer,
the Directory, and the Church Faith; which are the four
chief religions that are got up since the apostles’ days. And
there being several Friends in prison at Lancaster and other
prisons for not paying tithes, I was moved to give forth the
following lines:—
Concerning Tithes.
“In the time of the law, they that did not bring their
tithes into the store-house, robbed God; then there was not
meat in their house; therefore the Lord commanded ‘to
bring them into his house, that there might be meat in the
store-house, which was to fill the fatherless, stranger, and
widow.’ But these priests, who are counterfeits, who take
people’s tithes now by a law, are from the beast; and if any
will not pay them, they imprison them, or make them pay
treble. These rob the poor, rob the fatherless; and the
stranger and the widow are not filled; so their cry is gone
up to heaven against these. Many are made almost beggars
by these oppressing priests, their cattle and corn being taken
away, and they cast into prison. Others are sued at law by
them, and have treble damage taken from them; yet such
priests are cried up to be ministers of the gospel. Though,
when the unchangeable priest was come, the priesthood
that was changeable, was denied, as we now deny these.
But if any be moved now to cry against them, they are
stocked, beaten, or imprisoned. Many are now in prison at
Lancaster, and in other places, by a national law; the like
55whereof was never done by the law of God, which was
delivered to Moses. For we do not read, that under Moses’s
law any suffered imprisonment, or spoiling of their goods for
not paying tithes, or had to pay treble damage. Surely, surely,
the cry for vengeance will be heard, which arises from the
oppressed souls that lie under the altar. There are many
prisoners at Kendal, because they cannot pay tithes, as
Captain Ward, Thomas Robertson,[8] and the widow Garland,
who has many small children; these suffer because they
cannot pay tithes. Others are in Kendal prison, who were
moved of the Lord to speak to the priests, one to go in sackcloth,
and with ashes upon her head. Others have been
moved to go in sackcloth, as a lamentation for the miserable
estate of this nation, seeing so much crying up of the
preaching of the gospel, and yet so much strife, debate,
and oaths, and dissension among people. But where the
gospel is received indeed, strife and contention are ended,
and oppression is taken off.
O! the land mourns, because of the oppression of
those called ministers! And though the cry of the oppressed
hath not entered into the ears of the magistrates;
yet is the cry of the poor, oppressed people of God, entered
into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, who now will be avenged
of all his adversaries. You unjust lawgivers, and unjust
judges, to that in all your consciences I speak, to be cleared,
when ye are judged by the just Judge of heaven and earth;
whose terror is gone forth against all the ungodly, and all
the oppressors of God’s people whatsoever, whether ye will
hear or forbear.”
G.F.
After the assize, Colonel Kirby and some other justices
were very uneasy with my being at Lancaster; for I had
galled them sore at my trials there, and they laboured much
to get me removed to some remote place. Colonel Kirby
threatened I should be sent far enough, and sometimes said,
I should be sent beyond sea. About six weeks after the
assizes, they got an order from the king and council to remove
me from Lancaster; and with it they brought a letter
56from the Earl of Anglesea, wherein was written, “that if
those things were found true against me, which I was
charged withal, I deserved no clemency or mercy:” yet the
greatest matter they had against me was, because I could not
disobey the command of Christ, and swear.
When they had prepared for my removal, the under-sheriff
and the head-sheriff’s man, with some bailiffs, came
and fetched me out of the castle, when I was so weak with
lying in that cold, wet, and smoky prison, that I could hardly
go or stand. They had me into the jailer’s house, where
were William Kirby, a justice, and several others, and they
called for wine to give me. I told them, “I would have
none of their wine.” Then they cried, “Bring out the
horses.” I desired them first to show me their order, or a
copy of it, if they intended to remove me; but they would
show me none but their swords. I told them, “there was
no sentence passed upon me, nor was I premunired, that I
knew of; and therefore I was not made the king’s prisoner,
but was the sheriff’s; for they and all the country knew,
that I was not fully heard at the last assize, nor suffered to show
the errors that were in the indictment, which were sufficient
to quash it, though they had kept me from one assize to
another, to the end they might try me. But they all knew,
there was no sentence of premunire passed upon me; and
therefore not being the king’s prisoner, but the sheriff’s, I
desired to see their order.” Instead of showing me their
order, they haled me out, and lifted me upon one of the
sheriff’s horses. When I was on horseback in the street, the
town’s-people being gathered to gaze upon me, I told the
officers, I had received neither Christianity, civility, nor
humanity, from them. They hurried me away about fourteen
miles to Bentham, though I was so very weak, I was
hardly able to sit on horseback; and my clothes smelt so of
smoke, that they were loathsome to myself. The wicked
jailer, one Hunter, a young fellow, would come behind, and
give the horse a lash with his whip, and make him skip, and
57leap; so that I being weak, had difficulty to sit him; and
then he would come and look me in the face, and say, “How
do you, Mr. Fox?” I told him, “it was not civil in him to
do so.” The Lord cut him off soon after.
When we were come to Bentham, there met us many
troopers, and a marshal; and many of the gentry of the country
were come in, and abundance of people to stare at me. I being
very weak and weary, desired them to let me lie down on a bed,
which the soldiers permitted me; for they that brought me
thither, gave their order to the marshal, and he set a guard
of his soldiers upon me. When they had stayed a while,
they pressed horses, and raised the bailiff of the hundred,
and the constables, and others, and had me to Giggleswick
that night; but exceedingly weak I was. There they raised
the constables with their clog-shoes, who sat drinking all the
night in the room by me, so that I could not get much rest.
Next day we came to a market-town, where several Friends
called to see me; and Robert Widders and divers Friends
came to me on the road. The next night I asked the soldiers,
“whither they intended to carry me, and whither I was to
be sent?” Some of them said, “beyond sea;” others said,
“to Tynemouth Castle.” A great fear there was amongst
them, lest some one should rescue me out of their hands;
but that fear was needless.
Next night we came to York, where the marshal put
me into a great chamber, where most part of two troops came
to see me. One of these troopers, an envious man, hearing
that I must be premunired, asked me, “what estate I had,
and whether it was copyhold or free land?” I took no
notice of his question, but was moved to declare the word of
life to the soldiers, and many of them were very loving. At
night the Lord Frecheville (so called), who commanded
these horse, came to me, and was very civil and loving. I
gave him an account of my imprisonment, and declared many
things to him relating to truth. They kept me at York two
days, and then the marshal and four or five soldiers were
58sent to convey me to Scarbro’ Castle. Indeed these
were very civil men, and carried themselves civilly and
lovingly to me. On the way we baited at Malton, and they
permitted Friends to come and visit me. When we were
come to Scarbro’, they had me to an inn, and gave notice
to the governor, who sent six soldiers to be my guard that
night. Next day they conducted me into the castle, put me
into a room, and set a sentry on me. Being very weak and
subject to fainting, they let me go out sometimes into the air
with the sentry. They soon removed me out of this room,
and put me into an open one, where the rain came in; and
smoked exceedingly, which was very offensive to me.
One day the governor, Sir J. Crossland, came to see me,
and brought with him Sir Francis Cobb. I desired the
governor to go into my room, and see what a place I had. I
had got a little fire made in it, and it was so filled with smoke,
that when they were in it, they could hardly find their way
out again; and he being a Papist, I told him, that was his
Purgatory which they had put me into. I was forced to lay
out about fifty shillings to stop out the rain, and keep the
room from smoking so much. When I had been at that
charge, and made it somewhat tolerable, they removed me
into a worse room, wherewhere I had neither chimney nor fire-hearth.
This being to the sea-side and lying much open, the
wind drove in the rain forcibly, so that the water came over
my bed, and ran about the room, that I was fain to skim it
up with a platter. And when my clothes were wet, I had
no fire to dry them; so that my body was benumbed with
cold, and my fingers swelled, that one was grown as big
as two. Though I was at some charge in this room also,
I could not keep out the wind and rain. Besides they would
suffer few Friends to come to me, and many times not any,
no, not so much as to bring me a little food; but I was
forced for the first quarter to hire one, not a Friend, to bring
me necessaries. Sometimes the soldiers would take it from
her, and she would scuffle with them for it. Afterwards I
59hired a soldier to fetch me water and bread, and something
to make a fire of, when I was in a room where a fire could
be made. Commonly a threepenny loaf served me three
weeks, and sometimes longer, and most of my drink was
water with wormwood steeped or bruised in it. One time
when the weather was very sharp, and I had taken great cold,
I got a little elecampane beer, and I heard one of the soldiers
say to the other, that they would play me a trick, for they
would send for me up to the deputy-governor, and in the meantime
drink my strong beer out; and so they did. When I
came back, one of the soldiers came to me in a jeer, and
asked me for some strong beer. I told him they had played
their pretty trick; and so I took no further notice of it.
But inasmuch as they kept me so very strait, not
giving liberty for Friends to come to me, I spoke to the
keepers of the castle to this effect: “I did not know till I
was removed from Lancaster castle, and brought prisoner to
this castle of Scarbro’, that I was convicted of a premunire;
for the judge did not give sentence upon me at the assizes in
open court. But seeing I am now a prisoner here, if I may
not have my liberty, let my friends and acquaintance have
their liberty to come and visit me, as Paul’s friends had
among the Romans, who were not Christians but Heathens.
For Paul’s friends had their liberty; all that would, might
come to him, and he had his liberty to preach to them in his
hired house; but I cannot have liberty to go into the town,
nor for my friends to come to me here. So you that go
under the name of Christians, are worse in this respect than
those heathens were.”
But though they would not let Friends come to me, they
would often bring others, either to gaze upon me, or to contend
with me. One time a great company of Papists came
to discourse with me; they affirmed, “the Pope was infallible,
and had stood infallible ever since Peter’s time.”
But I showed them the contrary by history; for one of the
bishops of Rome, (Marcellinus by name,) denied the faith
60and sacrificed to idols; therefore he was not infallible. I
told them, if they were in the infallible spirit, they need not
have jails, swords, and staves, racks and tortures, fires and
faggots, whips and gallows, to hold up their religion by,
and to destroy men’s lives about it; for if they were in the
infallible spirit they would preserve men’s lives, and use none
but spiritual weapons about religion. I told them also what
one that had been of their society told me. A woman who
lived in Kent, had not only been a Papist herself, but had
brought over several to that religion; but coming to be convinced
of God’s truth, and turned by it to Christ her Saviour,
she exhorted the Papists to the same. One of them, a tailor,
being at work at her house, while she opened to him the
falseness of the Popish religion, and endeavoured to draw
him from it to the truth, drew his knife, and got between
her and the door; but she spoke boldly to him, and bid him
put up his knife, for she knew his principle. I asked the
woman, “what she thought he would have done with his
knife?” She said, “he would have stabbed her.” “Stabbed
thee,” said I, “what would he have stabbed thee for? thy
religion.” “Yes,” said she, “it is the principle of the Papists,
if any turn from their religion, to kill them if they can.”
This story I told those Papists, and that I had it from a
person that had been one of them, but had forsaken their
principles and discovered their practices. They did not
deny this to be their principle; but said, “What! would I
declare this abroad?” I told them, “yes, such things ought
to be declared abroad; that it might be known how contrary
their religion was to true Christianity.” Whereupon they
went away in a great rage.
Another Papist came to discourse with me, who said all
the patriarchs were in hell, from the creation till Christ
came, and that when Christ suffered he went into hell, and
the Devil said to him “What comest thou hither for, to
break open our strongholds?” And Christ said, “to fetch
them all out.” So he said, “Christ was three nights and
61three days in hell, to bring them out.” I told him that was
false, for Christ said to the thief, “This day thou shalt be
with me in paradise.” And Enoch and Elijah were translated
into heaven. And Abraham was in heaven, for the
Scripture saith, Lazarus was in his bosom; and Moses and
Elias were with Christ upon the Mount before he suffered.
These instances stopped the Papist’s mouth, and put him to
a stand.
Another time came Dr. Witty, who was esteemed a great
doctor of physic, with Lord Falconbridge; with these came
also the governor of Tynemouth castle, and several knights.
Being called to them, Witty undertook to discourse with me,
and asked me, “what I was in prison for?” I told him,
“because I would not disobey the command of Christ, and
swear.” He said, “I ought to swear my allegiance to the
king.” He being a great Presbyterian, I asked him, “whether
he had not sworn against the King, and House of Lords, and
taken the Scotch covenant? and had he not since sworn to
the king? and what then was his swearing good for? But
my allegiance,” I told him, “did not consist in swearing, but
in truth and faithfulness.” After some further discourse, I
was sent away to my prison again. And afterwards this Dr.
Witty boasted in the town amongst his patients, that he had
conquered me. When I heard of his boasting, I told the
governor, “it was a small boast in him to say he had conquered
a bondman.” I desired to bid him visit me again,
when he came to the castle.
He came again a while after, with sixteen or seventeen
great persons; and ran himself worse on ground than before.
For he affirmed before them all, “that Christ hath not enlightened
every man that cometh into the world; and that
the grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath not appeared
unto all men; and that Christ died not for all men.” I
asked him, “what sort of men those were whom Christ had
not enlightened? and to whom his grace had not appeared?
and for whom he had not died?” He said, “Christ did not
62die for adulterers, and idolaters, and wicked men.” I asked
him, “whether adulterers and wicked men were not sinners?”
He said, “Yes.” “And did not Christ die for sinners?”
said I. “Did he not come to call sinners to repentance?”
“Yes,” said he. “Then,” said I, “thou hast stopped thy own
mouth.” So I proved that the grace of God had appeared
unto all men, though some turned it into wantonness, and
walked despitefully against it; and that Christ had enlightened
all men, though some hated the light. Several of
the people that were present, confessed it was true; but he
went away in a great rage, and came no more to me.
Another time the governor brought a priest, but his
mouth was soon stopped. Not long after he brought two or
three parliament-men, who asked me, “whether I owned
ministers and bishops?” I told them, “yes, such as Christ
sent, such as had freely received, and would freely give, such
as were qualified, and were in the same power and Spirit
that they were in in the apostles’ days. But such bishops and
teachers as theirs were, that would go no farther than a great
benefice, I did not own; for they were not like the apostles.
Christ saith to his ministers, ‘Go ye into all nations, and
preach the gospel;’ but ye parliament-men, who keep your
priests and bishops in such great fat benefices, have spoiled
them all. For do ye think they will go into all nations to
preach; or any farther than they have a great fat benefice?
Judge yourselves whether they will or not.”
There came another time the widow of old Lord Fairfax,
and with her a great company; one of whom was a
priest. I was moved to declare the truth to them, and the
priest asked me, “Why we said, Thou and Thee to people?
for he counted us but fools and idiots for speaking so.” I
asked him, “Whether they that translated the Scriptures,
and that made the grammar and accidence, were fools and
idiots, seeing they translated the Scriptures so, and made the
grammar so, Thou to one, and You to more than one, and
left it so to us. If they were fools and idiots, why had not
63he, and such as he, that looked upon themselves as wise men,
and that could not bear Thou and Thee to a singular, altered
the grammar, accidence, and Bible, and put the plural instead
of the singular. But if they were wise men that had
so translated the Bible, and had made the grammar and
accidence so, I wished him to consider whether they were
not fools and idiots themselves, that did not speak as their
grammars and Bibles taught them; but were offended with
us, and called us fools and idiots for speaking so?” Thus
the priest’s mouth was stopped, and many of the company
acknowledged the truth, and were pretty loving and tender.
Some of them would have given me money, but I would not
receive it.
After this came Dr. Cradock, with three priests more,
and the governor and his lady (so called) and another that
was called a lady, and a great company with them. Dr.
Cradock asked me, “what I was in prison for?” I told
him, “for obeying the command of Christ and the apostle,
in not swearing. But if he, being both a doctor and a
justice of peace, could convince me, that after Christ and
the apostle had forbidden swearing, they commanded
Christians to swear, then I would swear. Here was the
Bible,” I told him, “he might, if he could, show me any such
command.” He said, “It is written, ‘ye shall swear in
truth and righteousness.’” “Ay,” said I, “It was written so
in Jeremiah’s time; but that was many ages before Christ
commanded, ‘not to swear at all;’ but where is it written
so, since Christ forbade all swearing? I could bring as
many instances for swearing out of the Old Testament
as thou, and it may be more; but of what force are they
to prove swearing lawful in the New Testament, since
Christ and the apostle had forbade it? Besides,” said I,
“in that text, where it is written, ye shall swear, what ye
was this? Was it ye Gentiles, or ye Jews?” To this he
would not answer. But one of the priests that were with him
answered, “it was to the Jews that this was spoken.” Then
64Dr. Cradock confessed it was so. “Very well,” said I, “but
where did God ever give a command to the Gentiles to
swear? For thou knowest that we are Gentiles by nature.”
“Indeed,” said he, “in the gospel-times everything was to
be established out of the mouths of two or three witnesses;
but there was to be no swearing then.” “Why then,” said
I, “dost thou force oaths upon Christians, contrary to thy
own knowledge, in the gospel-times. And why dost thou
excommunicate my friends?” (for he had excommunicated
abundance, both in Yorkshire and Lancashire). He said,
“for not coming to church.” “Why,” said I, “Ye left us above
twenty years ago, when we were but young lads and lasses,
to the Presbyterians, Independents and Baptists, many of
whom made spoil of our goods and persecuted us, because
we would not follow them. Now we being but young, knew
little then of your principles; and if ye had intended to
keep the old men that did know them, to you, and your
principles alive, that we might have known them, ye should
either not have fled from us as ye did, or ye should have
sent us your epistles, collects, homilies, and evening-songs,
for Paul wrote epistles to the saints, though he was in prison.
But they and we might have turned Turks or Jews for any
collects, homilies, or epistles, we had from you all this
while. And now thou hast excommunicated us, both young
and old, and so have others of you done: that is, ye have
put us out of your church, before ye have got us into it, and
before ye have brought us to know your principles. Is not
this madness in you, to put us out before we were brought in?
Indeed, if ye had brought us into your church, and when we
had been in, if we had done some bad thing, that had been something
like a ground for excommunication or putting out again.
But,” said I, “what dost thou call the church?” “Why,” said
he, “that which you call the steeple-house.” Then I asked
him, “whether Christ shed his blood for the steeple-house;
and purchased and sanctified the steeple-house with his
blood? And seeing the church is Christ’s bride and wife,
65and that he is the head of the church, dost thou think the
steeple-house is Christ’s wife and bride, and that he is the
head of that old house, or his people?” “No,” said he,
“Christ is the head of the people, and they are the church.”
“Then,” said I, “but you have given the title, church,
which belongs to the people, to an old house, and you have
taught people to believe so.”
I asked him also, “why he persecuted Friends for not
paying tithes? And whether God ever gave a command to
the Gentiles, that they should pay tithes? And whether
Christ had not ended tithes, when he ended the Levitical
priesthood that took tithes? And whether Christ when he
sent forth his disciples to preach, had not commanded
them to preach freely, as he had given them freely? And
whether all ministers of Christ, are not bound to observe
this command of Christ?” He said, “he would not dispute
that;” neither did I find he was willing to stay on that subject,
for he presently turned to another matter, and said,
“you marry, but I know not how.” I replied, “it may be
so; but why dost thou not come and see?” Then he
threatened that he would use his power against us as he had
done. “I bid him take heed, for he was an old man.” I
asked him also, “where he read from Genesis to the
Revelations, that ever any priest did marry any?” And I
wished him to show me some instance thereof, if he would
have us come to them to be married; “for” said I, “thou
hast excommunicated one of my friends, two years after he
was dead, about his marriage. And why dost thou not excommunicate
Isaac, and Jacob, and Boaz, and Ruth? Why
dost thou not use thy power against these; for we do not read
that they were ever married by the priests; but they took one
another in the assemblies of the righteous, in the presence of
God and his people; and so do we. So that we have all the holy
men and women, that the Scripture speaks of in this practice,
on our side.” Much discourse we had, but when he found
he could get no advantage over me, he went away with his
66company.
With such people I was much exercised while I was
there; for most that came to the castle would desire to speak
with me, and great disputes I had with them. But, as to
Friends, I was as a man buried alive: for though many came
far to see me, yet few were suffered to come to me: and
when any Friend came into the castle about business, if he
looked towards me they would rage at him. At last the
governor came under some trouble himself; for he having
sent out a privateer to sea, they took some ships that were
not enemies’ ships, but their friends’; whereupon he was
brought into trouble; after which he grew somewhat more
friendly to me. For before I had a marshal set over me, on
purpose to get money out of me,me, but I was not free to give
him a farthing; and when they found they could get nothing
from me, he was taken away again. The officers often
threatened that I should be hanged over the wall. Nay, the
deputy-governor told me once that the king, knowing I had
a great interest in the people, had sent me thither, that if
there should be any stirring in the nation, they should hang
me over the wall to keep the people down. There being, a
while after, a marriage at a Papist’s house, upon which
occasion a great many of them were met together, they talked
much then of hanging me. But I told them, “if that was
what they desired, and it was permitted them, I was ready;
for I never feared death nor sufferings in my life, but I was
known to be an innocent, peaceable man, free from all stirrings
and plottings, and one that sought the good of all men.”
Afterwards, the governor growing kinder, I spoke to him when
he was going to London to the Parliament, and desired him
to speak to Esquire Marsh, Sir Francis Cobb (so called), and
some others; and let them know how long I had lain in
prison, and for what; and he did so. When he came down
again, he told me, that Esquire Marsh[9] said he would go a
67hundred miles barefoot for my liberty, he knew me so well;
and several others, he said, spoke well of me. From which
time the governor was very loving to me.
There were, amongst the prisoners, two very bad men,
that often sat drinking with the officers and soldiers; and because
I would not sit and drink with them too, it made them
the worse against me. One time when these two prisoners
were drunk, one of them (whose name was William Wilkinson,
a Presbyterian who had been a captain), came to me and challenged
me to fight with him. Seeing what condition he was
in, I got out of his way; and, next morning, when he was more
sober, showed him, “how unmanly it was in him to challenge
a man to fight, whose principle, he knew, it was not to strike;
but if he was stricken on one ear to turn the other. I told
him, if he had a mind to fight, he should have challenged
some of the soldiers, that could have answered him in his
own way. But however, seeing he had challenged me, I
was now come to answer him with my hands in my pockets;
and (reaching my head towards him) ‘here,’ said I, ‘here is
my hair, here are my cheeks, here is my back.’” With that
he skipped away from me, and went into another room; at
which the soldiers fell a laughing; and one of the officers
said, “you are a happy man, that can bear such things.”
Thus he was conquered without a blow. After a while he
took the oath, gave bond, and got out of prison; and not
long after the Lord cut him off.
There were great imprisonments in this, and the former
year, while I was prisoner at Lancaster and Scarbro’. At
London many Friends were crowded into Newgate, and other
prisons, where the sickness was; and many died in prison.[10]68Many also were banished, and several sent on shipboard by
the king’s order. Some masters of ships would not carry
them, but set them on shore again; yet some were sent to
Barbadoes, to Jamaica, and to Nevis, and the Lord blessed
them there. One master of a ship was very wicked and cruel
to Friends that were put on board his vessel; for he kept
them down under decks, though the sickness was amongst
them; so that many died of it. But the Lord visited him
for his wickedness; for he lost most of his seamen by the
plague, and lay several months crossed with contrary winds,
though other ships went out and made their voyages. At
last he came before Plymouth, and there the governor and
magistrates would not suffer him, or any of his men, to land,
though he wanted many necessaries for his voyage; but
Thomas Lower, Arthur Cotton, John Light, and other
Friends, went to the ship’s side and carried necessaries for
the Friends that were prisoners on board. The master being
69thus crossed and vexed, cursed them that put upon him this
freight, and said, “he hoped he should not go far before he
was taken.” And the vessel was but just out of sight of
Plymouth before she was taken by a Dutch man-of-war, and
carried into Holland. When they came there, the States
sent the banished Friends back to England, with a passport,
and a certificate, “that they had not made an escape, but
were sent back by them.” In time the Lord’s power wrought
over this storm, and many of our persecutors were confounded
and put to shame.[11]
After I had lain prisoner above a year in Scarbro’ Castle,
I sent a letter to the king, in which I gave him “an account
of my imprisonment, and the bad usage I had received in
prison; and also that I was informed, no man could deliver
me but he.” After this, John Whitehead being at London,
and being acquainted with Esquire Marsh, went to visit him,
and spoke to him about me; and he undertook, if John
Whitehead would get the state of my case drawn up, to
deliver it to the master of requests, Sir John Birkenhead,
and endeavour to get a release for me. So John Whitehead
and Ellis Hookes[12] drew up an account of my imprisonment
and sufferings, and carried it to Marsh; and he went with it
70to the master of requests, who procured an order from the
king for my release. The substance of the order was, “that
the king being certainly informed, that I was a man principled
against plotting and fighting, and had been ready at
all times to discover plots, rather than to make any, &c.,
therefore his royal pleasure was, that I should be discharged
from my imprisonment,” &c. As soon as this order was obtained,
John Whitehead came to Scarbro’ with it, and delivered
it to the governor; who, upon receipt thereof,
gathered the officers together, and without requiring bonds
or sureties for my peaceable living, being satisfied that I was
a man of a peaceable life, he discharged me freely, and gave
me the following passport:—
“Permit the bearer hereof, George Fox, late a prisoner
here, and now discharged by His Majesty’s order, quietly to
pass about his lawful occasions, without any molestation.
Given under my hand at Scarbro’ Castle, this first day of
September, 1666.”
Jordan Croslands,
Governor of Scarbro’ Castle.
After I was released, I would have made the governor a
present for the civility and kindness he had of late showed
me; but he would not receive anything; saying, “whatever
good he could do for me and my friends he would do it, and
never do them any hurt.” And afterwards, if at any time
the mayor of the town sent to him for soldiers to break up
Friends’ meetings, if he sent any down he would privately
give them a charge “not to meddle.” He continued loving
to his dying day. The officers also and the soldiers were
mightily changed, and became very respectful to me, and
when they had occasion to speak of me, they would say, “he
is as stiff as a tree, and as pure as a bell; for we could never
bow him.”
The very next day after my release, the fire broke out in
London, and the report of it came quickly down into the
country.[13] Then I saw the Lord God was true and just
71in his word, which he had showed me before in Lancaster
jail, when I saw the angel of the Lord with a glittering sword
drawn southward, as before expressed. The people of London
were forewarned of this fire; yet few laid it to heart, or
believed it; but rather grew more wicked, and higher in
pride. For a Friend was moved to come out of Huntingdonshire
a little before the fire, to scatter his money, and turn
his horse loose on the streets, to untie the knees of his
breeches, let his stockings fall down, and to unbutton his
doublet, and tell the people, “so should they run up and
down, scattering their money and their goods, half undressed,
like mad people, as he was a sign to them;” and so they did,
when the city was burning.
Thus hath the Lord exercised his prophets and servants
by his power, showed them signs of his judgments, and sent
them to forewarn the people; but, instead of repenting, they
have beaten and cruelly entreated some, and some they have
imprisoned, both in the former power’s days and since. But
the Lord is just, and happy are they that obey his word.
Some have been moved to go naked in their streets, in the
72other power’s days, and since, as signs of their nakedness;
and have declared amongst them “that God would strip them
of their hypocritical professions, and make them as bare and
naked as they were.” But instead of considering it, they
have many times whipped, or otherwise abused them, and
sometimes imprisoned them. Others have been moved to go
in sackcloth, and to denounce the woes and vengeance of
God against the pride and haughtiness of the people; but
few regarded it. And in the other power’s days, the wicked,
envious, and professing priests, put up several petitions both
to Oliver and Richard, called protectors, and to the parliaments,
judges, and justices, against us, full of lies, vilifying
words and slanders; but we got copies of them, and, through
the Lord’s assistance, answered them all, and cleared the
Lord’s truth and ourselves of them. But O! the body of
darkness that rose against the truth in them that made lies
their refuge. But the Lord swept them away; and in and
with his power, truth, light, and life, hedged his lambs about,
and preserved them as on eagles’ wings. Therefore we all
had, and have great encouragement to trust the Lord, who,
we saw by his power and Spirit, overturned and brought to
naught all the confederacies and counsels that were hatched
in darkness against his truth and people; and by the same
truth gave his people dominion, that therein they might
serve him.
Indeed I could not but take notice, how the hand of the
Lord turned against those persecutors, who had been the
cause of my imprisonment, or had been abusive or cruel to
me in it. The officer that fetched me to Holker-Hall wasted
his estate, and soon after fled into Ireland. And most of the
justices that were upon the bench at the sessions when I was
sent to prison, died in a while after; as old Thomas Preston,
Rawlinson, Porter, and Matthew West, of Borwick. And
Justice Fleming’s wife died, and left him thirteen or fourteen
motherless children, who had imprisoned two Friends
to death, and thereby made several children fatherless.
73Colonel Kirby never prospered after. The chief constable,
Richard Dodgson, died soon after, and Mount, the petty
constable, and the wife of the other petty constable John
Ashburnham, who railed at me in her house, died soon after.
William Knipe, the witness they brought against me, died
soon after also. Hunter, the jailer of Lancaster, who was
very wicked to me while I was his prisoner, was cut off in
his young days: and the under-sheriff that carried me from
Lancaster prison towards Scarbro’, lived not long after.
And Joblin, the jailer of Durham, who was prisoner with me
in Scarbro’ castle, and had often incensed the governor and
soldiers against me, though he got out of prison, yet the Lord
cut him off in his wickedness soon after. When I came into
that country again, most of those that dwelt in Lancashire
were dead, and others ruined in their estates; so that, though
I did not seek revenge upon them, for their actings against
me contrary to the law, yet the Lord had executed his judgments
upon many of them.
CHAPTER II.
74
1666-1669.—George Fox visits a man above one hundred years old, who had been convinced—refutes a slander that Friends love none but themselves—has a meeting at Captain Taylor’s [at Brighouse], where a neighbouring knight threatens again to imprison him—comes to London, and finds the city in ruins as he had seen it in a vision some years before—is moved to recommend the setting up of monthly meetings to take care of God’s glory, and to admonish and exhort such as walk disorderly—travels through the nation for this purpose—meets with opposition in Huntingdonshire and Bedfordshire—when at Shrewsbury it was rumoured that “the great Quaker of England was come to town”—the hypocrisy of the Presbyterians detected—they and the Independents persecute when in power, but flinch in time of persecution by other powers—George Fox recommends certain regulations to be observed relative to Friends’ marriages—he also recommends the establishment of a school at Waltham for boys, and one at Shacklewell for girls—the meetings for discipline are the means of a great reformation among the people—George Fox discovers a cheat, writes a prophetic warning to Friends—monthly meetings settled throughout the nation—the order and good results thereof—George Fox disputes with a Papist—confers with Esquire Marsh (Justice), and shows him how to distinguish between Friends and other dissenters who refused the oath—Justice Marsh is afterwards very serviceable to Friends in screening them from suffering, and recommends the king to grant liberty of conscience—fourteen monthly meetings are settled in Yorkshire—Isaac Lindley to George Fox—when at Scarbro’ the governor presses George Fox to accept his hospitality—large and precious meetings.
Being now freed from my imprisonment in Scarbro’
castle, I went about three miles to a large general meeting at
a Friend’s house, that had been a chief constable; and all
was quiet and well. On the fourth day after, I returned to
Scarbro’, and had a meeting in the town at Peter Hodgson’s
house. To this came one called a lady, and several other
great persons, also a young man, son to the bailiff of the
town, who had been convinced, while I was there in prison.
That lady (so called) came to me, and said, “I spoke against
the ministers.” I told her, “such as the prophets and Christ
declared against formerly, I declared against now.”
75From hence I went to Whitby; and, having visited
Friends there, passed to Burlington, where I had another
meeting. Thence to Oram, where I had another meeting:
and thence to Marmaduke Storr’s, and had a large meeting
at a constable’s house, on whom the Lord had wrought a
great miracle.
Next day, two Friends being to take each other in
marriage, there was a very great meeting, which I attended.
I was moved to open to the people the state of our marriages,
declaring how the people of God took one another in the
assemblies of the elders, and that it was God who joined man
and woman together before the fall. And though men had
taken upon them to join in the fall, yet in the restoration it
was God’s joining, that was the right and honourable
marriage: but never any priest did marry any, that we read
of in the Scriptures, from Genesis to the Revelations. Then
I showed them the duty of man and wife, how they should
serve God, being heirs of life and grace together.
I passed thence to Grace Barwick’s, where I had a
general meeting, which was very large. I came next to
Richard Shipton’s, where I had another meeting; and so to
a priest’s house, whose wife was convinced, and himself
grown very loving, and glad to see me. This was that priest,
who, in the year 1651, threatened, “if ever he met me again,
he would have my life, or I should have his;” and said, “he
would lose his head, if I were not knocked down in a month.”
But now he was partly convinced, and become very kind.
I went from his house towards the sea, where several Friends
came to visit me; and amongst others, Philip Scafe, who
had formerly been a priest, but, having received the truth,
was now become a preacher of Christ freely, and continued
so.
Passing on, I called to see an ancient man, who was convinced
of truth, and was above a hundred years old. Then
I came to a Friend’s house, where I had a great meeting,
and quiet. I had a great meeting near Malton; and
76another large one near Hull; from which I went to Howden-Dyke.
As we went into the town, the watchmen
questioned me and those that were with me; but not having
any warrant to stay us, we passed by them, who in a rage
threatened they would search us out. I went to the house
of one called the Lady Montague, where I lodged that night;
and several friends came to visit me. Next morning, being
up early, I walked into the orchard, and saw a man about
sunrise go into the house in a great cloak. He stayed not
long; but came soon out again, and went away, not seeing
me. I felt something strike at my life; and went into the
house, where I found the maid-servant affrighted and
trembling. She told me, “that man had a naked rapier
under his cloak.” By which I perceived he came with an
intent to do mischief, but the Lord prevented him.
I then visited Friends till I came to York, where we
had a large meeting. After which I went to visit Justice
Robinson, an ancient justice of the peace, who had been very
loving to me and Friends from the beginning. There was a
priest with him, who told me, “it was said of us, that we
loved none but ourselves.” I told him, “we loved all mankind,
as they were God’s creation, and as they were children
of Adam and Eve by generation; and we loved the brotherhood
in the Holy Ghost.” This stopped him. After some
other discourse, we parted friendly, and passed away.
About this time I wrote a book, entitled Fear God, and
Honour the King; in which I showed, “that none could
rightly fear God, and honour the King, but they that departed
from sin and evil.” This book affected the soldiers
much, and most people.
Having visited Friends at York, we passed to a market
town, where we had a meeting at George Watkinson’s, formerly
a justice. A glorious, blessed meeting it was, and
very large, and the Seed of life was set over all. We should
have been troubled to get into this town, had not Providence
made way for us; for the watchmen stood ready to stop us.
77But a man riding just before us, the watchmen questioned
him first; and perceiving he was a justice of peace, they let
him pass; and we riding close after him, by that means escaped.
From this place we passed to Thomas Taylor’s, formerly a
captain, where we had a precious meeting. Hard by Thomas
Taylor’s lived a knight, who was much displeased when he
heard I was likely to be released out of prison; and threatened
that, “if the king set me at liberty, he would send me
to prison again the next day.” But though I had this meeting
so near him, yet the Lord’s power stopped him from
meddling, and the meeting was quiet. Colonel Kirby also,
who had been the chief means of my imprisonment at Lancaster
and Scarbro’ castles, when he heard I was set at liberty,
got another order for taking me up; and said, “he would
ride his horse forty miles to take me, and would give forty
pounds to have me taken.” A while after I came so near as
to have a meeting within two miles of him; he was then
struck with the gout, and kept his bed, so that it was thought
he would have died.
From Thomas Taylor’s I visited Friends till I came to
Synderhill-Green, where I had a large and general meeting.
The priest of the place, hearing of it, sent the constable to
the justices for a warrant, and they rode their horses so hard,
that they almost spoiled them; but the notice they had
being short, and the way long, the meeting was ended before
they came. I did not hear of them till I was going out of
the house, after meeting was over, and then a Friend came
and told me, “they were searching another house for me,
the one I was then going to.” As I went along the fields to
it, I met the constables, wardens, and the justice’s clerk. I
passed through them, they looked at me, and went to the
house they had been searching. Thus they lost their design;
for the Lord’s power bound them, and preserved me over
them; and Friends parted, and all escaped them. The
officers went away as they came; for the Lord had frustrated
78their design; praised be his name for ever.
After this I went to Derbyshire, where I had a large
meeting. Some Friends were apprehensive of the constables
coming; for they had great persecution in those parts; but
our meeting was quiet. A justice of peace in that county
had taken away much of Friends’ goods; whereupon Ellen
Fretwell had made her appeal to the sessions; and the rest
of the justices granted her her goods again, and spoke to the
persecuting justice, that he should not do so any more. She
was moved to speak and warn him; whereupon he bid her,
“come and sit down on the bench.” “Ay,” said she, “if I
may persuade you to do justice to the country, I will sit down
with you.” “No,” said he, “then you shall not; get out
of the court.” As she was going out, she was moved of the
Lord to turn again, and say, “she should be there, when he
should not.” After the sessions were ended, he went home,
and drove away her brother’s oxen, for going to meetings.
Then Susan Frith, a Friend of Chesterfield, was moved of
the Lord to tell him, that “if he continued in persecuting the
innocent, the Lord would execute his plagues upon him.”
Soon after which he fell distracted, and died in that state.
This relation I had from Ellen Fretwell herself.
I travelled into Nottinghamshire, and had a large
meeting at Skegby; from thence I went to Mansfield,
where also I had a meeting; thence to another town, where
there was a fair, at which I met with many Friends. Then
passing through the forest in a very thundering and rainy
day, I came to Nottingham. So great was the tempest
many trees were torn up by the roots, and some people killed;
but the Lord preserved us. On First-day following I had a
large meeting in Nottingham, very quiet; Friends were
come to sit under their teacher, the Grace of God, which
brought them salvation, and were established upon the rock
and foundation, Christ Jesus. After the meeting I went to
visit the Friend who had been sheriff about the year 1649,
whose prisoner I then was.
79From Nottingham I passed into Leicestershire and
came to Sileby, where we had a large, blessed meeting.
After which I went to Leicester to visit the prisoners there,
and then to John Penford’s, where we had a general meeting,
large and precious. From thence I passed, visiting
Friends and my relations, till I came to Warwick, where
having visited the prisoners, I passed to Baddesley, and
had a precious meeting there. Then I travelled through
Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire,
and Oxfordshire, visiting Friends in each county. In
Oxfordshire the devil had laid a snare for me, but the Lord
broke it; his power came over all, his blessed truth spread,
and Friends were increased therein.
Thus after I had passed through many counties, visiting
Friends, and had many large and precious meetings amongst
them, I came to London. But I was weak with lying almost
three years in cruel and hard imprisonments; my joints and my
body were so stiff and benumbed, that I could hardly get on
my horse or bend my joints; nor could I well bear to be
near the fire or to eat warm meat, I had been kept so long
from it. Being come to London, I walked a little among the
ruins, and took good notice of them. I saw the city lying,
according as the word of the Lord came to me concerning it
several years before.
After I had been a time in London, and visited Friends’
meetings through the city, I went into the country again,
and had large meetings at Kingston, Reading, and in
Wiltshire, till I came to Bristol, where also I had many
large meetings. Thomas Lower came thither out of Cornwall
to meet me: and Friends were there from several parts of
the nation, it being then the fair time. After I was clear of
Bristol, I left that city and went to Nathaniel Crisp’s; and
so through the country to London again, having large meetings
in the way, and all quiet, blessed be the Lord. Thus,
though I was very weak, yet I travelled up and down in the
service of the Lord, who enabled me to go through it.
80About this time some, that had run out from truth and
clashed against Friends, were reached unto by the power of
the Lord, which came wonderfully over, and made them condemn
and tear their papers of controversies to pieces. Several
meetings we had with them, and the Lord’s everlasting power
was over all, and set judgment on the head of that which
had run out. In these meetings, which lasted whole days,
several who had run out with John Perrot and others, came
in again, and condemned that spirit which led them to keep
on their hats, when Friends prayed, and when they themselves
prayed. Some of them said, “that Friends were more
righteous than they,” and that, “if Friends had not stood,
they had been gone, and had fallen into perdition.” Thus the
Lord’s power was wonderfully manifested, and came over
all.
Then I was moved of the Lord to recommend the setting
up of five monthly meetings of men and women in the city
of London (besides the women’s meetings and the quarterly
meetings,) to take care of God’s glory, and to admonish and
exhort such as walked disorderly or carelessly, and not according
to truth. For whereas Friends had had only
quarterly meetings, now truth was spread, and Friends were
grown more numerous, I was moved to recommend the setting
up of monthly meetings throughout the nation.[14] And
the Lord opened to me what I must do, and how the men’s
and women’s monthly and quarterly meetings should be
ordered and established in this and in other nations; and
that I should write to those where I did not come, to do the
same. After things were well settled at London, and the
Lord’s truth, power, seed, and life reigned and shone over
all in the city, I went into Essex. After the monthly meetings
were settled in that county, I went into Suffolk and
Norfolk, Thomas Dry being with me. When we had
81visited Friends in those parts, and the monthly meetings
were settled, we went into Huntingdonshire, where we
had very large and blessed gatherings; and though we met
with some opposition, the Lord’s power came over all, and
the monthly meetings were established there also. When
we came into Bedfordshire, we had great opposition; but
the Lord’s power came over it all. Afterwards we went into
Nottinghamshire, where we had many precious gatherings,
and the monthly meetings were settled there. Then passing
into Lincolnshire we had a meeting of some men Friends
of all the meetings in the county, at his house who had formerly
been sheriff of Lincoln, and all was quiet. After this
we passed over Trent into Nottinghamshire again, the ex-sheriff
of Lincoln being with me, where we had some of all
the meetings in that county together. Our meeting was
glorious and peaceable; and many precious meetings we
had in that county.
At that time William Smith was very weak and sick,
and the constables and others had seized all his goods, to
the very bed he lay upon, for truth’s sake. These officers
threatened to break up our meeting; but the Lord’s power
chained them, so that they had not power to meddle with us,
blessed be his name. After it, I went to visit William Smith,
and there were constables and others watching his corn and
beasts, that none of them might be removed.[15]
82Thence we passed to Leicestershire and Warwickshire,
where we had many blessed meetings. The order of
the gospel was set up, and the men’s monthly meetings
established in all those counties. Then we went into
Derbyshire, where we had several large and blessed meetings.
In many places we were threatened by the officers,
but, through the power of the Lord we escaped their hands.
Leaving things well settled in Derbyshire, we travelled over
the Peak hills, which were very cold (for it was then frost
and snow), and came into Staffordshire. At Thomas
Hammersley’s we had a general men’s meeting; where
things were well settled in the gospel order, and the monthly
meetings established also. But I was so exceedingly weak,
I was hardly able to get on or off my horse’s back; but my
spirit being earnestly engaged in the work the Lord had concerned
me in, and sent me forth about, I travelled on therein,
notwithstanding the weakness of my body, having confidence
in the Lord, that he would carry me through, as he did,
by his power.
We came into Cheshire, where we had several blessed
gatherings, and a general men’s meeting, wherein all the
monthly meetings for that county were settled, according to
the gospel order, in and by the power of God. After the
meeting I passed away. But when the justices heard of it,
they were very much troubled, that they had not come and
broken it up, and taken me; but the Lord prevented them.
After I had cleared myself there in the Lord’s service, I
passed into Lancashire, to William Barnes’s, near Warrington,
83where met some of most of the meetings in that county;
and there all the monthly meetings were established in gospel
order. From thence I sent papers into Westmorland by
Leonard Fell and Robert Widders, and also into Durham,
Cleveland, Northumberland, Cumberland, and Scotland,
to exhort Friends to settle the monthly meetings in
the Lord’s power in those places; which they did. So the
Lord’s power came over all, and the heirs of it came to inherit
it. For the authority of our meetings, is the power of
God, the gospel, which brings life and immortality to light;
that all may see over the devil that hath darkened them, and
that all the heirs of the gospel may walk according to the
gospel, and glorify God with their bodies, souls, and spirits,
which are the Lord’s; for the order of the glorious gospel is
not of man, nor by man. To this meeting in Lancashire,
Margaret Fell, being a prisoner, got liberty to come, and
went with me to Jane Milner’s in Cheshire, where we
parted. I passed into Shropshire, and from thence into
Wales, and had a large general men’s meeting at Charles
Lloyd’s, where some opposers came in, but the Lord’s power
brought them down.
Having gone through Denbighshire and Montgomeryshire
we passed into Merionethshire, where we had
several blessed meetings; and then went to the sea-side,
where we had a precious meeting. And Friends in these
parts, being established on Christ, their foundation, and the
monthly meetings settled in the power of God, we left Wales
and returned into Shropshire, where the Friends of the
country gathering together, the monthly meetings were
established there also. Then coming into Worcestershire,
after many meetings amongst Friends in that
county, we had a general men’s meeting at Henry Gibb’s
house, at Pashur, where also the monthly meetings were
settled in gospel order.
The sessions were held that day in the town, and some
Friends were concerned lest they should send officers to
84break up our meeting; but the Lord’s power restrained them,
so that it was quiet; through which power we had dominion.
I had several meetings amongst Friends in that county till I
came to Worcester; and it being the fair time, we had a
precious meeting there. There was then in Worcester one
Major Wild, a persecuting man; and after I was gone out of
town, some of his soldiers inquired after me; but having
left Friends there settled in good order, we passed to Droitwich,
and thence to Shrewsbury, where also we had a very
precious meeting. The mayor hearing that I was in town,
got the rest of the officers together, to consult what to do
against me; for they said, “the great Quaker of England
was come to town.” But when they were come together,
the Lord confounded their counsels, so that, when some were
for imprisoning me, others opposed it; and so being divided
among themselves, I escaped their hands.
We went also into Radnorshire, where we had many
precious gatherings, and the monthly meetings were settled
in the Lord’s power. As we came out of that county, staying
a little at a market-town, a justice’s clerk and other rude
fellows combined together to do us mischief on the road.
They followed us out of town, and soon overtook us; but
there being many market-people on the way, they were somewhat
hindered from doing what they intended. Yet observing
two of our company ride at some distance behind,
they set upon them; and one of them drew his sword, and
cut one of those two Friends, whose name was Richard Moor,
Surgeon, of Shrewsbury. Meanwhile another of these rude
fellows came galloping after me and the other Friend that
was with me; and having to pass over a narrow bridge, in
his eagerness to get before us he rode into the brook, and
plunged his horse into a deep hole in the water. I saw the
design, and stopped, desiring Friends to be patient, and give
them no occasion. By this time Richard Moor came up to
us, with the other Friend that was with him, who knew the
men and their names. Then we rode on, and a little further
85met another man on foot much in liquor, with a naked sword
in his hand. And not far beyond him we met two men and
women, one of whom had his thumb cut off by the drunken
man; for he, being in drink, attempted rudeness to one of
the women; and this man withstanding him, and rescuing
her, he drew his sword and cut off his thumb. Now
this drunken man had a horse, which being loose, followed
him some way behind. I rode after it, and having caught it,
brought it to the man that had his thumb cut off; and bid
him take the horse to the next justice of peace, by which
means they might find out, and pursue the man that had
wounded him.
On this occasion I wrote to the justices, and to the judge
of the assize which was then at hand; and employed some
Friends to carry it to the justices first. The justice to whom
the clerk belonged, rebuked his clerk and the others also,
for abusing us on the highway; so that they were glad to
come and entreat Friends not to appear against them at the
assize; which, on their submission and acknowledgment of
their fault, was granted. This was of good service in the
country, for it stopped many rude people, who before had
been forward to abuse Friends.
We passed into Herefordshire, where we had several
blessed gatherings; and we had a general men’s meeting
also, where all the monthly meetings were settled. There
was about this time a proclamation against meetings; and
as we came through Herefordshire, we were told of a great
meeting there of the Presbyterians, who had engaged themselves
to stand and give up all, rather than forsake their
meetings. When they heard of this proclamation, the people
came, but the priest was gone, and they were then at a loss.
Then they met in Leominster privately, and provided bread,
cheese, and drink in readiness, that if the officers should
come, they might put up their Bibles and fall to eating.
The bailiff found them out, and came in among them, and
said, “their bread and cheese should not cover them, he
86would have their speakers.” They cried, “what then
would become of their wives and children?” But he took
their speakers and kept them awhile. This the bailiff told
Peter Young, and said, “they were the veriest hypocrites that
ever made a profession of religion.”
The like contrivance they had in other places. For there
was one Pocock at London, that married Abigail Darcy, who
was called a lady; and she being convinced of truth, I went
to his house to see her. This Pocock had been one of the
triers of the priests; and, being a high Presbyterian, and
envious against us, he used to call our Friends house-creepers.
He being present, she said to me, “I have something to
speak to thee against my husband.” “Nay,” said I, “thou
must not speak against thy husband.” “Yes,” said she,
“but I must in this case. Last First-day,” said she, “he and
his priests and people, the Presbyterians, met; they had
candles and tobacco-pipes, bread, cheese, and cold meat on
the table; and they agreed beforehand, that if the officers
should come in upon them, then they would leave their
preaching and praying, and fall to their cold meat.” “O,”
said I to him, “is not this a shame to you, who persecuted
and imprisoned us, and spoiled our goods, because we would
not join you in your religion, and called us house-creepers,
that now ye do not stand to your own religion yourselves?
Did ye ever find our meetings stuffed with bread and cheese
and tobacco-pipes? Or did you ever read in the Scriptures
of any such practice among the saints?” “Why,” said the
old man, “We must be as wise as serpents.” I replied, “this
is the serpent’s wisdom indeed. But who would have
thought that you Presbyterians and Independents, who persecuted
and imprisoned others, spoiled their goods, and whipped
such as would not follow your religion, should now
flinch yourselves, and not dare to stand to your own religion,
but cover it with tobacco-pipes, flagons of drink, cold
meat, and bread and cheese!” But this, and such-like
deceitful practices, I understood afterwards, were too common
87amongst them in times of persecution.
After we had travelled through Herefordshire, and meetings
were well settled there, we passed into Monmouthshire,Monmouthshire,
where I had several blessed meetings; and at Walter
Jenkins’s, who had been a justice of the peace, we had a
large gathering, where some were convinced; this meeting
was quiet. But to one before this, came the bailiff of the
hundred, almost drunk, pretending he was to take up the
speakers. There was a mighty power of God in the meeting, so
that, although he raged, the power of the Lord limited him,
that he could not break it up. When it was over, I stayed
awhile, and he stayed also. After some time I spoke to him,
and so passed quietly away. At night some rude people came,
and shot off a musket against the house, but did not hurt anybody.
Thus the Lord’s power came over all, and chained
down the unruly spirits, so that we escaped them. We came
to Ross that night, and had a meeting at James Merrick’s.
After this we came into Gloucestershire and had a
general men’s meeting at Nathaniel Crisp’s house, where all
the monthly meetings were settled in the Lord’s everlasting
power; and the heirs of salvation were exhorted to take
their possessions in the gospel, the power of God, which was
and is the authority of their meetings. Many blessed gatherings
we had up and down in that county, before we came to
Bristol. And after several powerful meetings there, the
men’s and women’s meetings were settled there also.
As I was in bed at Bristol, the word of the Lord came
to me, that I must go back to London. Next morning Alexander
Parker and several others came to me: I asked them,
“what they felt?” They in like manner asked me, “what
was upon me?” I told them, “I felt I must return to London.”
They said, “the same was upon them.” So we gave
up to return to London; for whatever way the Lord moved
and led us, thither we went in his power. Leaving Bristol,
we passed into Wiltshire, and established the men’s monthly
meetings in the Lord’s power there; and visited Friends
88till we came to London.
After we had visited Friends in the city, I was moved
to exhort them to bring all their marriages to the men’s and
women’s meetings, that they might lay them before the faithful;
that care might be taken to prevent those disorders
that had been committed by some. For many had married
contrary to their relations’ minds; and some young, raw
people that came amongst us, had mixed with the world.
Widows had married without making provision for their
children by their former husbands, before their second marriage.
Yet I had given forth a paper concerning marriages
about the year 1653, when truth was but little spread over
the nation; advising Friends who might be concerned
in that case, “that they might lay it before the faithful in
time, before anything was concluded, and afterwards publish
it in the end of a meeting, or in a market, as they
were moved thereto. And when all things were found
clear, they being free from all others and their relations
satisfied, they might appoint a meeting on purpose
for the taking of each other, in the presence of at
least twelve faithful witnesses.” Yet these directions not
being observed, and truth being now more spread over
the nation, it was therefore ordered, by the same power and
Spirit of God, “that marriages should be laid before the
men’s monthly and quarterly meetings, or as the meetings
were then established; that Friends might see that the relations
of those that proceeded to marriage, were satisfied; that the
parties were clear from all others; and that widows had
made provision for their first husband’s children, before
they married again; and what else was needful to be inquired
into; that all things might be kept clean and pure,
and be done in righteousness to the glory of God.” Afterwards
it was ordered, in the same wisdom of God, “that if
either of the parties, that intended to marry, came out of another
nation, county, or monthly meeting, they should bring a certificate
from the monthly meeting to which they belonged;
89for the satisfaction of the monthly meeting before which they
came to lay their intentions of marriage.”[16]
These things, with many other services for God, being
set in order, and settled in the churches in the city, I passed
out of London, in the leadings of the Lord’s power into
Hertfordshire. After I had visited Friends, and the men’s
monthly meetings were settled there, I had a great meeting
at Baldock, of many sorts of people. Then returning towards
London by Waltham, I advised the setting up of a
school there for teaching boys; and also a girls’ school at
Shacklewell, for instructing them in whatsoever things
were civil and useful in the creation.[17]
90After I had had several precious meetings in the country,
I came to London again, where I stayed a while in the work
and service of the Lord; and then went into Buckinghamshire,
where I had many precious meetings. At
John Brown’s, of Weston near Aylesbury, some of
the men Friends of each meeting being gathered together,
the men’s monthly meetings for that county
were established, in the order of the gospel, the power of
God; and the power of the Lord confirmed it in all that
felt it, and they came thereby to see and feel, that the power
of God was the authority of their meetings. Then
after the monthly meetings were settled there in the
91order of the gospel, and upon the foundation of Christ
Jesus, I went to Nathaniel Ball’s, at North Newton
near Banbury, in Oxfordshire, who was a Friend in the
ministry. And there being a general meeting, where some
from all the meetings were present, the monthly meetings
for that county, were then settled in the power of God; and
Friends were very glad of them; for they came into their
services in the church, to take care for God’s glory. After
this meeting, we passed into Gloucestershire, visiting
Friends, till we came into Monmouthshire, to Richard
Hambery’s; where meeting with some from all the meetings
of that county, the monthly meetings were settled there also
in the Lord’s power, that all might take care of God’s glory,
and admonish and exhort such as did not walk as became
the gospel. And indeed these meetings made a great reformation
amongst people, insomuch that the justices took notice
of their usefulness.
Richard Hambery and his wife accompanied us a day’s
journey visiting Friends, till we came to a widow’s house,
where we stayed that night. Thence we passed over thethe
hills next day, visiting Friends and declaring truth to the
people, till we came to another widow’s, where we had a
meeting. She could not speak English, yet she praised the
Lord for sending us to visit them.
We travelled till we came to Swansea, where on the
First-day we had a large and precious meeting, the Lord’s
presence being eminently amongst us. On a week day afterwards
we had a general meeting beyond Swansea, of men
Friends from Swansea, Tenby, Haverfordwest, and other
places; and there the monthly meetings were settled in
gospel order, and received by Friends in the power of the
Lord; and the Lord’s truth was over all.
From hence we endeavoured to go by water into Cornwall,
and returned through Swansea to Mumbles, thinking
to get passage there, but the captain deceived us; for though
he had promised to carry us, yet when we came he would
92not. We went to another place where there was a passage-boat,
into which we got our horses; but some rude men
in the boat (though called gentlemen) threatened to pistol
the master, if he took us in, who, being afraid of them,
turned our horses out again; which put us out of hopes of
getting over that way. Wherefore turning back into the
country, we stayed up all night, and about two in the morning
took horse, and travelled till we came near Cardiff,
where we stayed one night. The next day we came to Newport;
and it being market-day there, several Friends came
to us with whom we sat a while; and after a refreshing season
together we parted from them, and went on our way.
Beyond this market-town we overtook a man, who
lingered on the way, as if he stayed for somebody; but
when we came up to him, he rode along with us, and
asked us many questions. At length meeting with two
others, who seemed to be pages to some great persons, he
made acquaintance with them, and I heard him tell them
he would stop us, and take us up. We rode on; being in
our way; and when he came to us, and would have stopped
us, I told him, “none ought to stop us on the king’s highway,
for it was as free for us as for them;” and I was moved
to exhort him to fear the Lord. Then he galloped away before
us; and I perceived his intent was to stop us at Shipton
in Wales, which was a garrison town, through which we
were to pass. When we were come to Shipton, John-ap-John
being with me, we walked down the hill into the town
leading our horses. It being the market-day there, several
Friends met us, and would have had us to an inn. But we
were not to go into any inn; so we walked directly through
the town over the bridge, and then we were out of the
limits of that town. Thus the Lord’s everlasting arm and
power preserved us, and carried us on in his work and service.
The next First-day we had a large meeting in the Forest
of Dean; and all was quiet. Next day we passed over
93the water to Olveston; where, after we had visited Friends,
we came again to William Yeoman’s house, at Irb’s Court
in Somersetshire. From thence we went to a meeting at
Portishead, whither several Friends from Bristol came to
us. After this we went further up into the country, and had
several large meetings; and the Lord’s living presence was
with us, supporting and refreshing us in our labour and travel
in his service.
We came to a place near Minehead, where we had a
general meeting of the men Friends in Somersetshire. There
came also a cheat, whom some friendly people would have
had me to take along with me. I saw he was a cheat; and
therefore bid them bring him to me, and see whether he
could look me in the face. Some were ready to think I was
too hard towards him, because I would not let him go along
with me; but when they brought him to me, he was not
able to look me in the face, but looked hither and thither;
for he was indeed a cheat, and had cheated a priest by pretending
to be a minister; he had got the priest’s suit and went
away with it.
After the meeting we passed to Minehead, where we
tarried. In the night I had an exercise upon me, from a
sense of a dark spirit, working and striving to get up to disturb
the church of Christ. Next morning I was moved to
write a few lines to Friends as a warning thereof, as follows:—
“Dear Friends,
“Live in the power of the Lord God, in his Seed that is
set over all, and is over all trials that you may have with the
dark spirit, which would be owned in its actings, and thrust
itself amongst you; which is not come as yet: but in the
power of the Lord God, and his Seed, keep over it, and bring
it to condemnation. For I felt a kind of dark spirit thrusting
itself up towards you, and heaving up last night; but
you may keep it down with the power of God, that the witness
may arise to condemn its actings, so far as it hath spread
its dark works, before it have any admittance. So no more,
but my love in the Seed of God, which changeth not.”
G.F.
Minehead in Somersetshire, 22nd of 4th Month, 1668.
94Next day several Friends of Minehead accompanied us
as far as Barnstaple and Appledore in Devonshire,
where we had a meeting. Barnstaple had been a bloody,
persecuting town. There were two men Friends of that
place, who had been a great while at sea; and coming home
to visit their relations, one of them having a wife and children,
the mayor of the town sent for them, under pretence to
converse with them; and he put the oaths of allegiance and
supremacy to them. Because they could not swear, he sent
them to Exeter jail, where Judge Archer premunired them,
and kept them till one of them died in prison. When I
heard of this, I was moved to write a letter to Judge Archer,
and another to the mayor of Barnstaple, laying their wicked
and unchristian actions upon their heads, and letting them
know, “that the blood of that man would be required at their
hands.”
After a precious meeting at Appledore among some faithful
Friends there, we passed to Stratton, and stayed at an
inn all night. Next day we rode to Humphrey Lower’s,
where we had a very precious meeting; and next day to
Truro; visiting Friends till we came to the Land’s-End.
Then coming up by the south part of that county, we visited
Friends till we came to Tregangeeves, where at Loveday
Hambley’s we had a general meeting for all the county;
in which the monthly meetings were settled in the Lord’s
power, and in the blessed order of the gospel; that all who
were faithful might admonish and exhort such as walked
not according to the gospel; that so the house of God might
be kept clean, and righteousness might run down, and all unrighteousness
be swept away. Several that had run out,
were brought to condemn what they had done amiss; and
through repentance came in again.
Being clear of the county of Cornwall, we came into
Devonshire, and had a meeting amongst Friends at Plymouth.
Whence passing to Richard Brown’s, we came to
the widow Phillips’s, where we had some men Friends from
95all the meetings together; and there the men’s monthly
meetings were settled in the heavenly order of the gospel,
the power of God; which answered the witness of God in
all. There was a great noise of a troop of horse coming to
disturb our meeting; but the Lord’s power prevented it, and
preserved us in peace and safety.
After things were well settled, and the meeting over,
we came to Kingsbridge, and visited Friends there. Then
leaving Friends in those parts well settled in the power of
God, we passed to Topsham, and Membury, visiting Friends,
and having many meetings in the way, till we came to
Ilchester in Somersetshire. Here we had a general
men’s meeting, and therein settled the men’s monthly meetings
for that county in the Lord’s everlasting power; and
Friends being refreshed and comforted in the Lord’s power,
and established upon Christ, their rock and foundation, we
passed to Puddimore; where, at William Beaton’s, we had
a blessed meeting, and all was quiet; though the constables
had threatened before.
When we had visited most of the meetings in Somersetshire,
we passed into Dorsetshire to George Harris’s
house, where we had a large men’s meeting. There all the
men’s monthly meetings for that county were settled in the
glorious order of the gospel, that all in the power of God
might “seek that which was lost, and bring again that which
was driven away; cherish the good, and reprove the evil.”
Then we came to Southampton, where we had a large
meeting on First-day. Thence we went to Captain Reeves’s,
where the general men’s meeting for Hampshire was appointed;
to which some of all the county came, and a
blessed time we had. There the men’s 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 of Ranters, who had opposed and
disturbed our meetings much. One of the women had lain
with a man, who declared it at the market-cross, and gloried
96in his wickedness. A company of these lewd people lived
together at a house hard by the place where our meeting was.
I went to it, and told them of their wickedness. 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 to tell them, “that the
plagues and judgments of God would overtake them, and
come upon them.” Afterwards 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 stabbed the jailer,
but not mortally. And after they were let out of jail, this
fellow that had stabbed the jailer hung himself; the woman
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 hastened
out of town. Though they were Ranters, great opposers of
Friends, and disturbers of our meetings, yet in the country
where they came, some people 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 among
the magistrates and people of Hampshire, to clear Friends
and truth of these lewd people and their wicked actions.
After the men’s monthly meetings in those parts were
settled, and the Lord’s blessed power was over all, we went
to a town where we had a meeting with Friends. Thence
we came to Farnham, where we met many Friends, it being
the market-day. We had many precious meetings up and
down that country. Friends in those parts 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
persecutor’s hands.
We passed thence, and had a general men’s meeting at a
Friend’s house in Surrey, who had been plundered so extremely,
97that he had scarcely a cow, horse, or swine left.
The constables threatened to come and break up our meeting,
but the Lord restrained them. At this meeting the men’s
monthly meetings were settled in the authority of the
heavenly power. After we had visited Friends in that
county, and had many large and precious gatherings, we
passed to a Friend’s house in Sussex, where the general
meeting for the men Friends of that county was appointed
to be held; and thither came several Friends from London
to visit us. We had a blessed meeting; and the men’s
monthly meetings for that county were then settled in the
Lord’s eternal power. There were at that time great threatenings
of disturbance; but the meeting was quiet. We 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 those that
were prisoners. 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
into Kent, where, after we had been at several meetings, we
had a general meeting for the men Friends of that county.
There also the men’s 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. 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
I visited Friends in their meetings in Kent; and when I
had cleared myself of the Lord’s service in that county, I
came up to London.
Thus were the men’s 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. The
98quarterly meetings were generally settled before. I wrote
also into Ireland by faithful Friends, and into Scotland,
Holland, Barbadoes, and several parts of America, advising
Friends to settle their men’s monthly meetings in those
countries. For they had their general quarterly meetings
before; but now that truth was increased amongst them,
they should settle those men’s monthly meetings in the
power and Spirit of God, that first convinced them.
Since these meetings have been settled, and all the
faithful in the power of God, who are 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 blessed the Lord God, that ever he sent 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 profess;
and to see that all who profess the truth, walk in the
truth, in righteousness, and in holiness, which becomes the
house of God, and that all order their conversation 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, 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
are set up in every one’s heart that is faithful; so that we
can say, the gospel order established amongst us, is not of
man, nor by man, but of and by Jesus Christ, in and through
the Holy Ghost. This order of the gospel, which is not of
man, nor by man, but from Christ, the heavenly man, is
above all the orders of men in the fall, whether Jews, Gentiles,
or apostatized Christians, and will remain when they are
gone. For the power of God, which is the everlasting gospel,
was before the devil was, and will be and remain for ever.
And as the everlasting gospel was preached in the
99apostles’ days to all nations, that all nations might come into
the order of it, through the divine power, which brings
life and immortality to light, that they who are heirs of it,
might inherit the power and authority of it; so now, since
all nations have drunk the whore’s cup, and all the world
hath worshipped the beast (but they whose names are written
in the book of life from the foundation of the world, who
have worshipped God in Spirit and in truth, as Christ commanded),
the everlasting gospel is to be, and is, preached
again, as John the divine foresaw it should, to all nations,
kindreds, tongues, and people. This everlasting gospel torments
the whore, and makes her and the beast to rage, even
the beast that hath power over the tongues, which are called
the original, to order them, by which they make divines, as
they call them. But all that receive the gospel, the power of
God, which brings life and immortality to light, come to see
over the beast, devil, whore, and false prophet, that darkened
them and all their worships and orders, and come to be heirs
of the gospel, the power of God, which was before the beast,
whore, false prophet, and devil were, and will be, when they
are all gone and cast into the lake of fire. And they that are
heirs of this power and of this gospel, inherit the power
which is the authority of this order, and of our meetings.
These come to possess the joyful order of the joyful gospel,
the comfortable order of the comfortable gospel, the glorious
order of the glorious gospel, and the everlasting order of the
everlasting gospel, the power of God, which will last for ever,
and will out-last all the orders of the devil, and that which
is of men or by men. These shall see the government of
Christ, who hath all power in heaven and earth given to him;
and of the increase of his glorious, righteous, holy, just government,
there is no end; but his government and his order
will remain; for he who is the author of it, is the first and
the last, the beginning and ending, the foundation of God,
which over all stands sure, Christ Jesus, the Amen.
Being returned to London, I stayed some time there,
100visiting Friends’ meetings in and about the city. While I was
in London, I went one day to visit Esquire Marsh, who had
showed much kindness both to me and to Friends; I happened
to go when he was at dinner. He no sooner heard my
name, than he sent for me up, and would have had me sit
down with him to dinner; but I had not freedom to do so.
Several great persons were at dinner with him; and he said
to one of them who was a great Papist, “Here is a Quaker,
whom you have not seen before.” The Papist asked me,
“whether I owned the christening of children?” I told
him, “there was no Scripture for any such practice.” “What,”
said he, “not for christening children?” I said, “nay.” I
told him, “the one baptism by the one Spirit into one body
we owned; but to throw a little water on a child’s face, and
say that was baptizing and christening it, there was no Scripture
for that.” Then he asked me, “whether I owned the
Catholic faith,” I said, “yes,” but added, that “neither the
Pope nor the Papists were in that Catholic faith; for the
true faith works by love, and purifies the heart, and if they
were in that faith that gives victory, by which they might
have access to God, they would not tell the people of a purgatory
after they were dead.” So I undertook to prove that
“neither Pope nor Papists that held a purgatory hereafter,
were in the true faith; for the true, precious, divine faith,
which Christ is the author of, gives victory over the devil
and sin, that had separated man and woman from God. And
if they, the Papists, were in the true faith, they would
never use racks, prisons, and fines, to persecute and force
others to their religion, that were not of their faith. This
was not the practice of the apostles and primitive Christians,
who witnessed and enjoyed the true faith of Christ; but it
was the practice of the faithless Jews and Heathens so to do.
“But,” said I, “seeing thou art a great and leading man
among the Papists, and hast been taught and bred up under
the Pope, and seeing thou sayest, ‘there is no salvation but in
your church,’ I desire to know of thee, what it is that doth
101bring salvation in your church?” He answered, “a good
life.” “And nothing else?” said I. “Yes,” he said, “good
works.” “And is this it that brings salvation in your church,
a good life and good works? Is this your doctrine and principle?”
said I. “Yes,” said he. “Then,” said I, “neither thou,
nor the Pope, nor any of the Papists know what it is that brings
salvation.” Then he asked me, what brought salvation in
our church? I told him, “that which brought salvation to
the church in the apostles’ days, the same brought salvation
to us, and not another; namely, ‘the Grace of God,’God,’ which,
the Scripture says, brings salvation, and hath appeared to all
men, which taught the saints then, and teaches us now.
This Grace which brings salvation, teaches to deny ungodliness
and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and
godly. So it is not the good works nor the good life that
brings salvation, but the Grace.” “What!” said the Papist,
“doth this Grace that brings salvation, appear unto all men?”
“Yes,” said I. “Then,” said he, “I deny that.” I replied,
“all that deny that, are sect-makers, and are not in the universal
faith, grace, and truth, which the apostles were in.”
Then he spoke to me about the mother church. I told
him, “the several sects in Christendom had accused us, and
said, ‘we forsook our mother-church.’ The Papists charged
us with forsaking their church, saying, ‘Rome was the only
mother-church.’ The Episcopalians taxed us with forsaking
the old Protestant religion, alleging, ‘theirs was the reformed
mother-church.’ The Presbyterians and Independents
blamed us for leaving them, each of them pretending, ‘theirs
was the right reformed church.’” But, I said “if we could
own any outward city or place to be the mother-church, we
should own Jerusalem, where the gospel was first preached
by Christ himself and his apostles, where Christ suffered,
where the great conversion to Christianity by Peter was,
where were the types, figures, and shadows, which Christ ended,
and where Christ commanded his disciples to ‘wait until
they were endued with power from on high.’ If any outward
102place deserved to be called the mother, that was the
place where the first great conversion to Christianity was.
But the apostle saith, Gal. iv. 25-27, ‘Jerusalem, which now
is, is in bondage with her children; but Jerusalem which
is above, is free, which is the mother of us all.’ For it is
written, ‘Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not; break forth
and cry, thou that travailest not; for the desolate hath many
more children than she which hath an husband.’ The
apostle does not say, outward Jerusalem was the mother,
though the first and great conversion to Christianity was
there. And there is less reason for the title [mother] to be
given to Rome, or to any other outward place or city, by the
children of Jerusalem, that is above and free; neither are
they Jerusalem’s children, that is above and free, who give
the title of mother either to outward Jerusalem, to Rome,
or to any other place or sect of people. And though
this title [mother] hath been given to places and sects amongst
and by the degenerate Christians, yet still we say, as the
apostle said of old, ‘Jerusalem that is above, is the mother
of us all.’ And we can own no other, neither outward Jerusalem
nor Rome, nor any sect of people for our mother, but
Jerusalem which is above, which is free, the mother of all
that are born again, and are become true believers in the
light, grafted in Christ, the heavenly Vine. For all who are
born again of the immortal Seed, by the Word of God, which
lives and abides for ever, feed upon the milk of the Word,
the breasts of life, and grow by it in life, and cannot acknowledge
any other to be their mother but Jerusalem which is
above.” “O,” said Esquire Marsh to the Papist, “You do
not know this man, if he would but come to church now
and then, he would be a brave man.”
After some other discourse, I went aside with Justice
Marsh into another room, to speak with him concerning
Friends; for he was a justice of peace for Middlesex, and
being a courtier, the other justices put much of the management
of affairs upon him. He told me “he was in a strait
103how to act between us and some other Dissenters. For,”
said he, “you cannot swear, and the Independents, Baptists,
and Fifth-monarchy people say also they cannot swear;
therefore,” said he, “how shall I know how to distinguish
betwixt you and them, seeing they and you all say it is for
conscience’ sake that you cannot swear?” I answered “I will
show thee how to distinguish. They, or most of them, thou
speakest of, can and do swear in some cases, but we cannot
swear in any case. If a man should steal their cows and
horses, and thou shouldst ask them whether they would
swear they were theirs; many of them would readily do it.
But if thou try our Friends, they cannot swear for their own
goods. Therefore, when thou puttest the oath of allegiance
to any of them, ask them, ‘whether they can swear in any
other case, as for their cow or horse;’horse;’ which, if they be really
of us, they cannot do, though they can bear witness to the
truth.truth.” Hereupon I gave him a relation of a trial in Berkshire,
which was thus: A thief stole two beasts from a Friend
of ours, the thief was taken and cast into prison, and the
Friend appeared against him at the assizes. But somebody
having informed the judge, that the prosecutor was a Quaker,
and could not swear, the judge, before he heard what the
Friend could say, said, “Is he a Quaker? and will he not
swear? Then tender him the oaths of allegiance and supremacy.”
So he cast the Friend into prison, and premunired
him, and set the thief at liberty that had stolen his goods.
Justice Marsh, said, “that judge was a wicked man.” “But,”
said I, “if we could swear in any case, we would take the
oath of allegiance to the king, who is to preserve the laws
that are to support every man in his estate. Whereas others,
that can swear in some cases to preserve a part of their
estates, if they be robbed, will not take this oath to the king,
who is to preserve them in their whole estates and bodies
also. So that thou mayest easily distinguish, and put a
difference between us and those people.” Justice Marsh was
afterwards very serviceable to Friends in this and other
104cases; for he kept several, both Friends and others, from
being premunired. When Friends were brought before him
in time of persecution, he set many of them at liberty; and
when he could not avoid sending to prison, he sent some for
a few hours, or for a night. At length he went to the king,
and told him, “he had sent some of us to prison contrary to
his conscience, and he could not do so any more.” Wherefore
he removed his family from Limehouse, where he lived,
and took lodgings near St. James’s Park. He told the king
that “if he would be pleased to give liberty of conscience,
that would quiet and settle all; for then none could have
any pretence to be uneasy.” And indeed he was a very
serviceable man to truth and Friends in his day.
We had great service at London this year; the Lord’s
truth came over all, and many that had gone out from
truth came in again, confessing and condemning their outgoings.
After I had stayed some time in London, I visited
Friends in Surrey and Sussex, and in other places that
way, and afterwards travelled northward, having Leonard
Fell with me. We visited Friends till we came to Warwick,
where many were in prison; and we had a meeting in the
town. I passed thence to Birmingham and Baddesley.
At Baddesley I had a large meeting; after which I came
to Nottingham, where on First-dayFirst-day we had a precious
meeting, but not without danger of being apprehended, the
constables having threatened to take up Friends.
I passed thence, visiting Friends, till I came to Balby,
and so to York, to the quarterly meeting; and a blessed
time we had. Friends in Yorkshire had seven monthly
meetings before; and they were so sensible of the service of
them, that they desired to have seven more added to them,
for truth was much spread in that county. So they were
established; and now they have fourteen monthly meetings
in that county.[18]
105It being the assizes at York, I met with Justice Hotham,
a well-wisher to Friends, who had been tender, and very
kind to me from the first.
After I had finished my service for the Lord in York,
I passed into the country. As I went a great burthen fell
upon me, but I did not presently know the reason of it. I
came to a meeting on First-day at Richard Shipton’s, which
was very large, but there being one the same day at another
place also, the priest of that place, being misinformed that I
was to be there, got a warrant, and made great disturbance
at that meeting; of which Isaac Lindley, who was there,
gave me an account in the following letter:—
G.F.
“When thou went from York, the First-day after thou
wast at Richard Shipton’s, that day I had appointed a meeting
ten miles from York, where there had not been one before.
But the priest and the constable got a warrant on the seventh
day, and put thy name only in the warrant, for they had
heard that thou wast to be there. They came with weapons
and staves, and cried, ‘Where is Mr. Fox?’ over and over;
many Friends being there, they concluded thou wast among
them. But those raveners, being disappointed, plucked me
down and abused me, and beat some Friends, and then took
me before a magistrate, but he set me at liberty.”
Isaac Lindley.
Then I visited Friends at Whitby and Scarbro’. When
at Scarbro’, the governor hearing I was come, sent to invite
me to his house, saying, “surely I would not be so unkind
as not to come and see him and his wife.” After the meeting
I went up to visit him, and he received me very courteously
and lovingly.
Having visited most of the meetings in Yorkshire, the
Wolds, and Holderness, I came to Henry Jackson’s, where
I had a great meeting. Thence to Thomas Taylor’s, and so to
John Moor’s at Eldreth, where we had a very large meeting;
the Lord’s power and presence were eminently amongst
106us. Not far from this place lay Colonel Kirby, lame of the
gout, who had threatened that “if ever I came near he would
send me to prison again; and had bid forty pounds to any
man that could take me;” as I was credibly informed.
After this I came into Staffordshire, and Cheshire,
where we had many large and precious meetings. I had a
very large one at William Barnes’s house, about two miles from
Warrington; and though Colonel Kirby was out again,
as violent in breaking up meetings as before, and was then
at Warrington, the Lord did not suffer him to come to this
meeting; and so we were preserved out of his hands.
CHAPTER III.
107
1669-1671.—George Fox sails for Ireland in company with several other Friends—he there sends a challenge to the Popish priests to try their God, which is not accepted—he contrasts them with Baal’s priests—the authorities of Cork threaten him, and issue warrants for his apprehension—he rides publicly through the city, and is seen by the mayor but not molested—writes to Friends in the ministry there—discourses with professors on election and reprobation—returns to England—a report is spread that George Fox is turned Presbyterian, through a trick to obtain a congregation for John Fox, the Presbyterian, which however turns to the advantage of Friends—George Fox is married to Margaret Fell at Bristol—writes to the quarterly meetings about putting children apprentices—Margaret Fox is cast into prison—two of her daughters go to the king, and obtain a promise of their mother’s liberty—on the passing of the Conventicle Act, George Fox writes a declaration against seditious conventicles—writes to Friends to strengthen them in their trials—is apprehended at a meeting at Gracechurch Street—taken before the mayor, who discourses with him and sets him at liberty—visits Friends in Reading jail—undergoes great travail of spirit, loses his sight and hearing, and becomes as a sign—persecution becoming hot, some meeting-houses are pulled down, and Friends are much abused—George Fox endures great mental conflict—the faithfulness of Friends is said by some professors to have preserved the nation from debauchery—George Fox writes an encouraging letter to Friends—as persecution abates he recovers—writes a warning to the rulers of the nation—recommends certain regulations respecting marriage—writes a prayer.
Now was I moved of the Lord to go over into Ireland
to visit the seed of God in that nation. There went with me
Robert Lodge, James Lancaster, Thomas Briggs, and John
Stubbs. We waited near Liverpool for shipping and wind.
After waiting some days, we sent James Lancaster to take
passage, which he did, and brought word the ship was ready,
and would take us in at Black Rock. We went thither on
foot; and it being some distance, and the weather very hot,
I was much spent with walking. When we arrived, the ship
was not there; so we were obliged to go to the town, and
take shipping. When we were on board, I said to the rest
108of my company, “Come, ye will triumph in the Lord, for
we shall have fair wind and weather.” Many passengers in
the ship were sick, but not one of our company. The captain
and many of the passengers were very loving; and we being
at sea on the first day of the week, I was moved to declare
truth among them; whereupon the captain said to the
passengers, “Here are things that you never heard in your
lives.”
When we came before Dublin, we took boat and went
ashore; and the earth and air smelt, methought, of the corruption
of the nation, so that it yielded another smell to me
than England did; which I imputed to the Popish massacres
that had been committed, and the blood that had been spilt
in it, from which a foulness ascended. We passed through
among the officers of the customs four times, yet they did not
search us; for they perceived what we were: some of them
were so envious they did not care to look at us. We did
not soon find Friends; but went to an inn, and sent out to
inquire for some; who when they came to us were exceedingly
glad of our coming, and received us with great
joy. We stayed there the weekly meeting, which was a
large one, and the power and life of God appeared greatly in
it. Afterwards we passed to a province meeting, which
lasted two days, there being one about the poor, and another
meeting more general; in which a mighty power of the
Lord appeared. Truth was livingly declared, and Friends
were much refreshed therein.
Passing thence about four and twenty miles, we came to
another place, where we had a very good refreshing meeting,
but after it, some Papists that were there were angry, and
raged very much. When I heard of it, I sent for one of
them, who was a schoolmaster; but he would not come.
Whereupon I sent a challenge to him, with all the friars and
monks, priests and Jesuits, to come forth, and “try their
God and their Christ, which they had made of bread and
wine,” but no answer could I get from them. Wherefore I
109told them, “they were worse than the priests of Baal; for
Baal’s priests tried their wooden god, but these durst not try
their god of bread and wine; and Baal’s priests and people
did not eat their god as these did, and then make another.”
We went to New Garden, where there was a great
meeting. Thence we travelled on among Friends, till we
came to Bandon Bridge and the Land’s End, having
many meetings as we went, in which the mighty power of
the Lord was manifested, Friends were well refreshed, and
many people were affected with the truth. At Bandon, the
Mayor’s wife being herself convinced, desired her husband
to come to the meeting; but he bid her, for her life, not to
make known that I was at a meeting there.
He that was then Mayor of Cork was very envious
against truth and Friends, and had many Friends in prison;
and knowing that I was in the country, he had issued four
warrants to take me; wherefore Friends were desirous that
I might not ride through Cork. But being at Bandon, there
appeared to me, in a vision, “a very ugly visaged man, of a
black and dark look: my spirit struck at him in the power
of God; and it seemed to me, that I rode over him with my
horse, and my horse set his foot on the side of his face.”
When I came down in the morning, I told a Friend that was
with me, that the command of the Lord was to me to ride
through Cork; but bade him tell no man. So we took
horse, many Friends being with me; and when we came
near the town, they would have showed me a way on the
backside of the town; but I told them, my way was through the
streets. Wherefore taking one of them along with me, whose
name was Paul Morrice, to guide me through the town, I
rode on; and as we rode through the market-place, and by
the mayor’s door, he seeing me ride by, said, “there goes
George Fox;” but he had not power to stop me. When we
had passed through the sentinels, and were come over the
bridge, we went to a Friend’s house and alighted. There the
Friends told me what a rage was in the town, and how many
110warrants were granted to take me. While I was sitting there
with Friends, I felt the evil spirit at work in the town,
stirring up mischief against me; and I felt the power of the
Lord strike at that evil spirit. By and by some other
Friends coming in, told me, that it was over the town, and
amongst the magistrates, that I was in the town. I said,
“let the devil do his worst.” After a while, and Friends
were refreshed one in another, and we travellers had refreshed
ourselves, I called for my horse, and having a Friend
to guide me, we went on our way. But great was the rage,
that the mayor and others of Cork were in, that they had
missed me; and great pains they afterwards took to take
me, having their scouts abroad upon the roads, as I understood,
to observe which way I went. Afterwards there was
scarcely a public meeting I came to, but spies came to watch
if I were there. And the envious magistrates and priests sent
informations one to another concerning me, describing me
by my hair, hat, clothes, and horse, so that when I was near
a hundred miles from Cork, they had an account concerning
me, and description of me, before I came amongst them.
One very envious magistrate, who was both a priest and
a justice, got a warrant from the judge of the assize to apprehend
me; which warrant was to go over all his circuit,
which reached near a hundred miles. Yet the Lord disappointed
all their counsels, and defeated all their designs
against me; by his good hand of Providence preserved me
out of all their snares, and gave us many sweet and blessed
opportunities to visit Friends, and spread truth through that
nation. For meetings were very large, Friends coming to
them far and near; and other people flocking in. The
powerful presence of the Lord was preciously felt with and
amongst us; whereby many of the world were reached, convinced,
and gathered to the truth; the Lord’s flock was increased,
and Friends were greatly refreshed and comforted
in feeling the love of God. O, the brokenness that was
amongst them in the flowings of life! So that, in the power
111and Spirit of the Lord, many together broke out into singing,
even with audible voices, making melody in their hearts.
At which time I was moved to declare as follows:—
To Friends in the Ministry.
“Sound, sound abroad, ye faithful servants of the Lord,
and witnesses in his name, ye prophets of the Highest, and
angels of the Lord! Sound ye all abroad in the world, to
the awakening and raising of the dead, that they may be
awakened, and raised up out of the grave, to hear the voice
that is living. For the dead have long heard the dead, the
blind have long wandered among the blind, and the deaf
amongst the deaf. Therefore sound, ye servants, prophets,
and angels of the Lord, ye trumpets of the Lord, that you
may awaken the dead, and them that are asleep in their
graves of sin, death and hell, sea and earth, and who lie in
the tombs. Sound abroad, ye trumpets, and raise up the
dead, that they may hear the voice of the Son of God, of the
second Adam that never fell; the voice of the Light, and of
the Life; the voice of the Power, and the voice of Truth; the
voice of the Righteous, and of the Just. Sound ye the trumpets,
the melodious sound abroad, that all the deaf ears may be
opened to hear the pleasant sound of the trumpet to judgment
and life, to condemnation and light.
“Sound your trumpets all abroad, ye angels of the Lord,
sons and daughters, prophets of the Highest, that all who
are dead and asleep in the graves—who have been long
dreaming and slumbering, may be awakened, and hear the
voice of the Lamb;—that all who have long heard the voice
of the beast, may now hear the voice of the Bridegroom and
the voice of the Bride;—that they may now hear the voice
of the great Prophet and King—the Shepherd and Bishop
of their souls. Sound, sound it all abroad, ye trumpets,
among the dead in Adam; for Christ is come, the second
Adam, that they might have life, yea have it abundantly.
Awaken the dead, awaken the slumberers, the dreamers,
them that are asleep, awaken them out of their graves, out
of their tombs, out of their sepulchres, out of the seas!
Sound abroad, ye trumpets that awaken the dead, that they
may all hear the sound of it in the graves, and they that hear
may live, and come to the Life, that is, the Son of God. He
is risen from the dead; the grave could not hold nor contain
him, neither could all the watchers of the earth, with all
their guards, keep him therein. Sound, ye trumpets of the
Lord, to all the seekers of the living among the dead, that
he is risen from the dead; to all the seekers of the living
112among the dead, and in the graves that the watchers keep;
he is not in the grave, he is risen; there is that under the
grave of the watchers of the outward grave, which must be
awakened and come to hear His voice, who is risen from the
dead, that they may come to live. Therefore sound abroad,
ye trumpets of the Lord, that the grave may give up her
dead, and hell and the sea give up their dead; that all may
come forth to judgment, to the judgment of the Lord before
his throne, and have their sentence and reward according to
their works.”
G. F.
To James Hutchinson’s in Ireland came many great
persons, desiring to discourse with me about election and
reprobation. I told them, “though they judged our principle
foolish, it was too high for them, they could not with their
wisdom comprehend it; therefore I would discourse with
them according to their capacities. You say (said I), that
God hath ordained the greatest part of men for hell, and that
they were ordained so before the world began; for which
your proof is in Jude. You say Esau was reprobated, and
the Egyptians, and the stock of Ham. But Christ saith to his
disciples, ‘Go, teach all nations,’ and ‘go into all nations and
preach the gospel of life and salvation.’ Now, if they were
to go to all nations, were they not to go to Ham’s stock and
Esau’s stock; did not Christ die for all? then for the stock
of Ham, of Esau, and the Egyptians. Doth not the Scripture
say, ‘God would have all men to be saved?’ Mark, all men,
then the stock of Esau and of Ham also. Doth not God
say, ‘Egypt, my people?’ and that he would have an altar
in Egypt? Isa. xix. Were there not many Christians
formerly in Egypt? And doth not history say, that the
Bishop of Alexandria would formerly have been Pope? And
had not God a church in Babylon? I confess, ‘the word
came to Jacob, and the statutes of Israel; the like was not
to other nations.’ For the law of God was given to Israel;
but the gospel was to be preached to all nations, and is to be
preached. The gospel of peace and glad tidings is to all
nations, ‘he that believes, is saved; but he that doth not
believe, is condemned already;’ so the condemnation comes
113through unbelief. And whereas Jude speaks of some, that
were of old ordained (or written of before) to condemnation,
he doth not say, before the world began; but, ‘written of
old,’ which may be referred to Moses’s writings, who wrote
of those whom Jude mentions, namely, Cain, Korah, Balaam,
and the angels that kept not their first estate. And such
Christians as followed them in their way, and apostatized
from the first state of Christianity, were and are ordained
for condemnation by the light and truth, which they are gone
from. And though the apostle speaks of God’s loving Jacob
and hating Esau; yet he tells the believers, ‘we all were by
nature children of wrath as well as others.’ This includes
the stock of Jacob, of which the apostle himself and all
believing Jews were. Thus both Jews and Gentiles were
all concluded under sin, and so under condemnation, that
God might have mercy upon all, through Jesus Christ. The
election and choice stands in Christ; and ‘he that believes, is
saved; and he that believes not, is condemned already.’
Jacob typifies the second birth, which God loved; and both
Jews and Gentiles must be born again, before they can enter
the kingdom of God. When you are born again, ye will
know election and reprobation; for the election stands in
Christ, the Seed, before the world began; but the reprobation
lies in the evil seed, since the world began.” After this
manner, but somewhat more largely, I discoursed with those
great persons on this matter, and they confessed they had
never heard so much before.
After I had travelled over Ireland, and had visited Friends
in their meetings, as well for business as for worship, and
had answered several papers and writings from monks, friars,
and Protestant priests (for they all were in a rage against us,
and endeavoured to stop the work of the Lord; and some
Jesuits swore in the hearing of some of us, that we came to
spread our principles in that nation, but we should not do
it,) I returned to Dublin to take passage for England. When
I had stayed the First-day meeting there (which was very
114large and precious,) a ship being ready and the wind serving,
we took our leave of Friends, parting in much tenderness
and brokenness, in the sense of the heavenly life and power,
manifested amongst us. So having put our horses and
necessaries on board in the morning, we went ourselves in
the afternoon, many Friends accompanying us to the ship;
and divers, both Friends and friendly people, came after us
in boats when we were near a league at sea, their love drawing
them, though not without danger. A good, weighty, and
true people there is in that nation, sensible of the power of
the Lord God and tender of his truth; and very good order they
have in their meetings, for they stand up for righteousness
and holiness, which dams up the way of wickedness. A
precious visitation they had, and there is an excellent spirit
in them, worthy to be visited. Many things more I could
write of that nation, and of my travels in it, which would be
large to mention particularly; but this I have thought good
to signify, that the righteous may rejoice in the prosperity
of truth.
James Lancaster, Robert Lodge, and Thomas Briggs
came back with me; John Stubbs having further service
there, stayed behind. We were two nights at sea; in one of
which a mighty storm arose, that put the vessel in great
danger. But I saw the power of God went over the winds
and storms; he had them in his hand, and his power bound
them. And the same power of the Lord God which carried
us over, brought us back again; and in his life gave us dominion
over all the evil spirits that opposed us there.
We landed at Liverpool, and went to Richard Johnson’s.
Whence departing the next day, we passed to William
Barnes’s house, and so to William Gandy’s, visiting Friends,
and having many precious meetings in Lancashire and
Cheshire. When we came into Gloucestershire, we
met with a report at Nailsworth, which was spread about
that country, “that George Fox was turned Presbyterian;
that they had prepared a pulpit for him, and set it in a yard,
115and that there would be a thousand people there the next day to
hear him.” I thought it strange that such a report should be
raised of me; yet as we went further, from one Friend’s house
to another, we met with the same. We passed by the yard
where the pulpit was, and saw it, and went on to the place
where Friends’ meeting was to be next day, and there we
stayed that night. Next day, being First-day, we had a very
large meeting, and the Lord’s power and presence were
amongst us.
The occasion of this strange report (as I was informed)
was this. There was one John Fox, a Presbyterian priest,
who used to go about preaching; and some changing his
name (as was reported) from John to George, gave out
that George Fox had changed his religion, and was
turned from a Quaker, to be a Presbyterian, and would
preach at such a place such a day. This begot so great
a curiosity in the people, that many went thither to hear
this Quaker turned Presbyterian, who would not have
gone to hear John Fox himself. By this means, it was
reported, they had got together above a thousand people.
But when they came there, and perceived they had a trick
put upon them, and that he was a counterfeit George Fox,
and understood that the real George Fox was hard by,
several hundreds of them came to our meeting, and were
sober and attentive. I directed them to the grace of God in
themselves, which would teach them, and bring them salvation.
When the meeting was over, some of the people said,
“they liked George Fox the Quaker’s preaching better than
George Fox the Presbyterian’s.” Thus, by my providential
coming into those parts at that time, was this false report
discovered; and shame came over the contrivers of it.
Not long after, this John Fox was complained of in the
House of Commons, for “having a tumultuous meeting, in
which treasonable words were spoken;” which (according
to the best information I could get of it) was thus:—He had
formerly been priest of Mansfield [Manningford?] in Wiltshire;
116and being put out of that place, was afterwards permitted by a
Common-Prayer priest to preach sometimes in his steeple-house.
At length this Presbyterian priest, presuming too far
upon the parish priest’s former grant, began to be more bold
than welcome, and attempted to preach there, whether the
parish priest would or not. This caused a great bustle and
contest in the steeple-house between the two priests, and their
hearers, on each side; in which contest the Common-Prayer-Book
was cut to pieces, and some treasonable words were
spoken by some of the followers of John Fox. This was
quickly put in the news: and some malicious Presbyterians
caused it to be worded as if it had proceeded from George
Fox, the Quaker, when I was above two hundred miles from
the place where this bustle happened. When I heard of it,
I soon procured certificates from some of the members of the
House of Commons, who knew this John Fox, and gave it
under their hands, that it was John Fox, who had formerly
been parson at Mansfield in Wiltshire, that was complained
of to the House of Commons, to be the chief ringleader in
that unlawful assembly.
And indeed this John Fox discovered himself to be an
ill man; for when some, who had been his followers, came
to be convinced of truth, and thereupon left him, he came to
some of their houses to talk with them about it, and they telling
him, “he was in the steps of the false prophets, preaching for
hire and filthy lucre, like them whom Christ cried woe
against, and the apostles declared against, such as served not
the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own bellies; and telling him
also, Christ said, ‘freely ye have received, freely give;’ and
therefore he should not take money of people for preaching,
especially now times were so hard;” he replied, “God bless
preaching, for that brings in money, let times go how they
will. Fill my belly with good victuals; and then call me
false prophet, or what you will, and kick me about the house
when ye have done if ye will.” This relation I had from a
man and his wife, who had been formerly his hearers, and
117whom this John Fox, with others, caused deeply to suffer. For
he and some other Presbyterian priests, using to resort to a
widow-woman’s house, who had the impropriation, and took
the tithes of the parish, she told them, there was a Quaker in
that parish, that would not pay her tithes, and asked what
she should do with him. They advised her “to send workmen
to cut down and carry away his corn;” which she did,
and thereby impoverished the man. But to proceed—
After this meeting in Gloucestershire was over, we travelled
till we came to Bristol; where I met with Margaret
Fell, who was come to visit her daughter Yeomans. I had
seen from the Lord a considerable time before, that I should
take Margaret Fell to be my wife. And when I first mentioned
it to her, she felt the answer of Life from God thereunto.
But though the Lord had opened this thing to me, yet I had
not received a command from the Lord, for the accomplishing
of it then. Wherefore I let the thing rest, and went on
in the work and service of the Lord as before, according as he
led me; travelling up and down in this nation and through
Ireland. But now being at Bristol, and finding Margaret
Fell there, it opened in me from the Lord that the thing
should be accomplished. After we had discoursed the
matter together, I told her, if “she also was satisfied with
the accomplishing of it now, she should first send for her
children;” which she did. When the rest of her daughters
were come, I asked both them and her sons in law, “if
they had anything against it, or for it;” and they all severally
expressed their satisfaction therein. Then I asked Margaret,
“if she had fulfilled and performed her husband’s will
to her children.” She replied, “the children knew that.”
Whereupon I asked them, “whether, if their mother married,
they should not lose by it?” And I asked Margaret,
“whether she had done anything in lieu of it, which might
answer it to the children?” The children said, “she had
answered it to them, and desired me to speak no more of it.”
I told them, “I was plain, and would have all things done
118plainly; for I sought not any outward advantage to myself.”
So after I had thus acquainted the children with it, our intention
of marriage was laid before Friends, both privately
and publicly, to their full satisfaction, many of whom gave
testimony thereunto that it was of God. Afterwards, a meeting
being appointed for the accomplishing thereof, in the
meeting-house at Broad-Mead in Bristol, we took each other,
the Lord joining us together in the honourable marriage, in the
everlasting covenant and immortal Seed of life. In the sense
whereof, living and weighty testimonies were borne thereunto
by Friends, in the movings of the heavenly power which
united us together. Then was a certificate relating both to the
proceedings and the marriage, openly read, and signed by
the relations, and by most of the ancient Friends of that
city, besides many others from divers parts of the nation.[19]
We stayed about a week in Bristol, and then went together
to Olveston; where taking leave of each other in
the Lord, we parted, betaking ourselves to our several services,
Margaret returning homewards to the north, and I
passing on in the work of the Lord, as before. I travelled
119through Wiltshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, and
Buckinghamshire, and so to London, visiting Friends; in
all which counties I had many large and precious meetings.
Being in London, it came upon me to write to Friends
throughout the nation, about “putting out poor children to
trades.” Wherefore I sent the following epistle to the
quarterly meetings of Friends in all counties:—
“My Dear Friends,
“Let every quarterly meeting make inquiry through all
the monthly and other meetings, to know all Friends that
are widows, or others, that have children fit to put out to
apprenticeships; so that once a quarter you may set forth
an apprentice from your quarterly meeting; and so you may
set forth four in a year in each county, or more, if there be
occasion. This apprentice, when out of his time, may help
his father or mother, and support the family that is decayed;
and in so doing, all may come to live comfortably. This
being done in your quarterly meetings, ye will have knowledge
through the county in the monthly and particular
meetings, of masters fit for them, and of such trades as their
parents or you desire, or the children are most inclinable to.
Thus being placed out with Friends, they may be trained up
in truth; and by this means in the wisdom of God, you may
preserve Friends’ children in the truth, and enable them to
be a strength and help to their families, and nursers
and preservers of their relations in their ancient days.
Thus also things being ordered in the wisdom of God,
you will take off a continual maintenance, and free
yourselves from much cumber. For in the country,
ye know, ye may set forth an apprentice for a little
to several trades, as bricklayers, masons, carpenters, wheelwrights,
plough-wrights, tailors, tanners, curriers, blacksmiths,
shoemakers, nailers, butchers, weavers of linen and
woollen, stuffs and serges, &c. And you may do well to
have a stock in your quarterly meetings for that purpose.
All that is given by any Friends at their decease (except it
be given to some particular use, person, or meeting,) may be
brought to the public stock for that purpose. This will be
a way for the preserving of many that are poor among you,
and it will be a way of making up poor families. In several
counties it is practised already. Some quarterly meetings
set forth two apprentices; and sometimes the children of
others that are laid on the parish. You may bind them for
fewer or more years, according to their capacities. In all
120these things the wisdom of God will teach you, by
which ye may come to help the children of poor Friends,
that they may come to support their families, and preserve
them in the fear of God. So no more, but my love in the
everlasting Seed, by which ye will have wisdom to order all
things to the glory of God.”
G.F.
London, 1st of 11th Month, 1669.
I stayed not long in London; but having visited
Friends, and finding things there quiet and well, the Lord’s
power being over all, I passed into Essex, and Hertfordshire,
where I had many precious meetings. Intending to
go as far as Leicestershire, I wrote a letter to my wife,
before I left London, to acquaint her therewith, that if she
found it convenient to her she might meet me there. From
Hertfordshire I turned into Cambridgeshire, thence into
Huntingdonshire, and so into Leicestershire; where,
instead of meeting with my wife, I heard she was haled out of
her house to Lancaster prison again, by an order obtained from
the king and council, to fetch her back to prison upon the old
premunire; though she had been discharged from that imprisonment
by their order the year before. Wherefore, having
visited Friends as far as Leicestershire, I returned by
Derbyshire into Warwickshire, and so to London,
having had many large and blessed meetings in the several
counties I passed through, and been sweetly refreshed
amongst Friends in my travels.
As soon as I reached London, I hastened Mary Lower
and Sarah Fell (two of my wife’s daughters) to the king, to
acquaint him how their mother was dealt with, and see if
they could obtain a full discharge for her, that she might
enjoy her estate and liberty without molestation. This was
somewhat difficult, but by diligent attendance, they at length
obtained it; the king giving command to Sir John Otway,
to signify his pleasure therein by letter to the sheriff,
and others concerned therein in the country. Which letter
Sarah Fell going down with her brother and sister Rous,
121carried with her to Lancaster; and by them I wrote to my
wife as follows:—
“My dear heart in the truth and life, that changeth not,
“It was upon me that Mary Lower and Sarah should go to
the king concerning thy imprisonment, and to Kirby, that
the power of the Lord might appear over them all in thy deliverance.
They went, and then they thought to come down;
but it was upon me to stay them a little longer, that they
might follow the business till it was effected; which it now
is, and is here sent. The late declaration of mine hath been
very serviceable, people being generally satisfied with it. So
no more, but my love in the holy Seed.”
G.F.
The declaration here mentioned, was a printed sheet,
written upon occasion of a new persecution stirred up. For
by the time I was returned out of Leicestershire to London,
a fresh storm was risen, occasioned (it was thought) by that
tumultuous meeting in a steeple-house in Wiltshire or Gloucestershire,
mentioned a little before (page 116); from which,
it was said, some members of parliament took advantage to
get an act passed against seditious conventicles;[20] which soon
after came forth and was turned against us, who of all people
were free from sedition and tumult. Whereupon I wrote a
declaration, showing from the preamble and terms of the
act, that we were not such a people, nor our meetings such
as were described in that act. I wrote also another short paper
122on the occasion of that act against meetings, opening our
case to the magistrates, as follows:—
“O Friends, consider this act, which limits us to five.
Is this doing as ye would be done by? Would ye be so
served yourselves? We own Christ Jesus as well as you,
his coming, death, and resurrection; and if we be contrary-minded
to you in some things, is not this the apostle’s exhortation,
‘to wait till God hath revealed it?’ Doth not he
say, ‘what is not of faith, is sin’? Seeing we have not faith
in things, which ye would have us to do, would it not be sin
in us, if we should act contrary to our faith? Why should
any man have power over another man’s faith, seeing Christ
is the author of it? When the apostles preached in the
name of Jesus, and great multitudes heard them, and the
rulers forbade them to speak any more in that name, did not
they bid them judge whether it were better to obey God or
man? Would not this act have taken hold of the twelve
apostles and seventy disciples; for they met often together?
If there had been a law made then, that not above five should
have met with Christ, would not that have been a hindering
of him from meeting with his disciples? Do ye think that
He, who is the wisdom of God, or his disciples, would have
obeyed it? If such a law had been made in the apostles’
days, that not above five might meet together, who had been
different-minded from either the Jews or the Gentiles, do ye
think the churches of Christ at Corinth, Philippi, Ephesus,
Thessalonica, or the rest of the gathered churches, would
have obeyed it? O therefore consider! for we are Christians,
and partake of the nature and life of Christ. Strive
not to limit the Holy One; for God’s power cannot be limited,
and is not to be quenched. Do unto all men as ye would
have them do unto you; for that is the law and the prophets.”
123“This is from those who wish you all well, and desire
your everlasting good and prosperity, called Quakers;
who seek the peace and good of all people, though they
afflict us, and cause us to suffer.”
G. F.
As I had endeavoured to soften the magistrates, and to
take off the sharpness of their edge in the execution of the
act, so it was upon me to write a few lines to Friends “to
strengthen and encourage them to stand fast in their testimony,
and bear, with Christian patience and content, the
suffering that was coming upon them.” This I did in the
following epistle:—
“My dear Friends, Keep in the faith of God above all
outward things, and in his power, that hath given you
dominion over all. The same power of God is still with you
to deliver you as formerly; for God and his power is the
same; his Seed is over all, and before all; and will be,
when that which makes to suffer, is gone. Be of good faith
in that which changeth not; for whatsoever any do against
the truth, it will come upon themselves, and fall as a millstone
on their heads. If the Lord suffer you to be tried, let
all be given up; and look at the Lord and his power, which
is over the whole world, and will remain when the world is
gone. In the Lord’s power and truth rejoice over that which
makes to suffer, in the Seed, which was before it was; for
the life, truth, and power of God is over all. All keep in
that; and if ye suffer in that, it is to the Lord.
“Friends, the Lord hath blessed you in outward things;
and now the Lord may try you, whether your minds be in
outward things, or with the Lord that gave you them?
Therefore keep in the Seed, by which all outward things
were made, and which is over them all. What! shall not I
pray, and speak to God, with my face towards heavenly
Jerusalem, according to my wonted time? Let not any one’s
Delilah shave his head, lest he lose his strength; neither
rest in its lap, lest the Philistines be upon you. For your
rest is in Christ Jesus; therefore rest not in anything else.”
G. F.
London, 12th of 2nd Month, 1670.
On the First-day after the act came in force, I went to
the meeting at Gracechurch-Street, where I expected the
storm was most likely to begin. When I came there, I found
the street full of people, and a guard set to keep Friends out
124of their meeting-house. I went to the other passage out of
Lombard-street, where also I found a guard; but the court
was full of people, and a Friend was speaking amongst them;
but he did not speak long. When he had done, I stood up,
and was moved to say, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou
me? it is hard for thee to kick against that which pricks
thee. Then I showed that it is Saul’s nature, that persecutes
still, and that they who persecute Christ in his members now,
where he is made manifest, kick against that which pricks
them. That it was the birth of the flesh that persecuted the
birth born of the Spirit; and that it was the nature of dogs
to tear and devour the sheep, but that we suffered as sheep
that bite not again; for we were a peaceable people, and
loved them that persecuted us.” After I had spoken a while
to this effect, the constable came with an informer and
soldiers; and as they pulled me down, I said, “Blessed are
the peacemakers.” The commander of the soldiers put me
among the soldiers, and bid them secure me, saying to me,
“You are the man I looked for.” They took also John
Burnyeat and another Friend, and led us away first to the
Exchange, and afterwards towards Moorfields.
As we went along the streets the people were very
moderate; some of them laughed at the constable, and told
him, “we would not run away.” The informer went with
us unknown, till falling into discourse with one of the company,
he said, “It would never be a good world till all people
came to the good old religion that was two hundred years
ago.” Whereupon I asked him, “Art thou a Papist? What!
a Papist informer; for two hundred years ago there was no
other religion but that of the Papists.” He saw he had ensnared
himself, and was vexed at it; for as he went along
the streets, I spoke often to him, and manifested what he
was. When we were come to the mayor’s house, and were
in the court-yard, several of the people that stood about,
asked me, “how and for what I was taken?” I desired
them to ask the informer, and also know what his name was;
125but he refused to tell his name. Whereupon one of the
mayor’s officers looking out at a window, told him, “he
should tell his name before he went away; for the lord
mayor would know by what authority he intruded himself
with soldiers into the execution of those laws which belonged
to the civil magistrate to execute, and not to the military.”
After this, he was eager to be gone; and went to the porter
to be let out. One of the officers called to him, saying,
“Have you brought people here to inform against, and now
will you go away before my lord mayor comes?” Some
called to the porter not to let him out; whereupon he forcibly
pulled open the door, and slipped out. No sooner was
he come into the street, than the people gave a shout, that
made the street ring again, crying out, “a Papist informer!
a Papist informer!” We desired the constable and soldiers
to go and rescue him out of the people’s hands, fearing lest
they should do him a mischief. They went, and brought
him into the mayor’s entry, where they stayed a while; but
when he went out again, the people received him with
another shout. The soldiers were fain to go and rescue him
once more, and they led him into a house in an alley, where
they persuaded him to change his periwig, and so he got
away unknown.
When the mayor came, we were brought into the room
where he was, and some of his officers would have taken off
our hats, which he perceiving, called to them, and bid them,
“let us alone, and not meddle with our hats; for,” said he,
“they are not yet brought before me in judicature.” So we
stood by while he examined some Presbyterian and Baptist
teachers; with whom he was somewhat sharp, and convicted
them. After he had done with them, I was brought up to
the table where he sat; and then the officers took off my
hat; and the mayor said mildly to me, “Mr. Fox, you are
an eminent man amongst those of your profession; pray,
will you be instrumental to dissuade them from meeting in
such great numbers? for, seeing Christ hath promised that
126where two or three are met in his name, he will be in the
midst of them, and the king and parliament are graciously
pleased to allow of four to meet together to worship God;
why will not you be content to partake both of Christ’s
promise to two or three, and the king’s indulgence to four?”
I answered to this purpose: “Christ’s promise was not to
discourage many from meeting together in his name, but to
encourage the few, that the fewest might not forbear to meet,
because of their fewness. But if Christ hath promised to
manifest his presence in the midst of so small an assembly,
where but two or three were gathered in his name, how
much more would his presence abound where two or three
hundred are gathered in his name? I wished him to consider,
whether this act would not have taken hold of Christ,
with his twelve apostles and seventy disciples, if it had been
in their time, who used to meet often together, and that
with great numbers? However, I told him this act did not
concern us; for it was made against seditious meetings, of
such as met, under colour and pretence of religion, ‘to contrive
insurrections, as (the act says) late experience had
shown;’ but we had been sufficiently tried and proved, and
always found peaceable, and therefore he should do well to
put a difference between the innocent and the guilty.” He
said, “the act was made against meetings, and a worship not
according to the liturgy.” I told him, “according to” was
not the very same thing: and I asked him, “whether the
liturgy was according to the Scriptures? and whether we
might not read Scriptures, and speak Scriptures?” He said
“Yes.” I told him, “this act took hold only of such, as met
to plot and contrive insurrections, as late experience had
shown; but they had never experienced that by us. Because
thieves are sometimes on the road, must not honest men
travel? And because plotters and contrivers have met to do
mischief, must not an honest, peaceable people meet to do
good? If we had been a people that met to plot and contrive
insurrections, &c., we might have drawn ourselves into fours;
127for four might do more mischief in plotting than if there
were four hundred, because four might speak out their minds
more freely one to another than four hundred could. Therefore,
we being innocent, and not the people this act concerns,
we keep our meetings as we used to do: and, I said, I
believed that he knew in his conscience we were innocent.”
After some more discourse, he took our names and the places
where we lodged, and at length, as the informer was gone,
set us at liberty.
Being set at liberty, the Friends with me asked me
“whither I would go?” I told them, “to Gracechurch
Street meeting again, if it were not over.” When we came
there, the people were generally gone; only some few stood
at the gate. We went into Gerrard Roberts’s house; and
from thence I sent out to know how the other meetings in
the city were. I understood that at some of the meeting-places
Friends were kept out; at others they were taken,
but set at liberty again a few days after. A glorious time it
was, for the Lord’s power came over all, and his everlasting
truth got renown. For as fast as some that were speaking
were taken down, others were moved of the Lord to stand
up and speak, to the admiration of the people; and the more,
because many Baptists and other sectaries left their public
meetings, and came to see how the Quakers would stand.
As for the informer aforesaid, he was so frightened, that
there durst hardly any informer appear publicly again in
London for some time after. But the mayor, whose name
was Samuel Starling, though he carried himself smoothly
towards us, proved afterwards a very great persecutor of our
Friends, many of whom he cast into prison, as may be seen
in the trials of W. Penn, W. Mead, and others, at the Old
Bailey this year.[21]
128After some time the heat of persecution in London began
to abate, and meetings were quieter there. Being now clear
of the city, I went to visit Friends in the country; and
attended several meetings in Middlesex, Buckinghamshire,
and Oxfordshire, which were quiet, though in
some places there was much threatening. At Reading
most of the Friends were in prison, and I went to visit them.
When I had been a while with them, the Friends that were
prisoners gathered together, and several other persons came
in; so that I had a fine opportunity amongst them, and “declared
the Word of Life, encouraging them in the truth; and
they were refreshed in feeling the presence and power of
the Lord amongst them.” When the meeting was ended,
the jailer understanding that I was there, the Friends were
concerned how to get me out safe again; for they feared
lest he should stop me. But after I had stayed a while, and
eaten with them, I went down stairs, and the jailer being at
the door, I put my hand in my pocket, which he had such an
eye to, hoping to get something from me, that he asked me
no question. So I gave him something, and bade him “be
kind and civil to my Friends in prison, whom I came to
visit;” and he let me pass out without interruption. But
soon after Isaac Penington coming to visit them, he stopped
129him, and caused him to be made a prisoner.[22]
Next morning I rode about fourteen miles to a meeting
at Banghurst in Hampshire, Thomas Briggs being with
me. When we came into the parish, some sober people told
us, that “the priest of the town was an envious man, and
threatened us.” We went on to the meeting, which was
large; and after some time Thomas Briggs stood up and
spoke. It seems the priest had got a warrant, and sent the
constables and other officers with it. They came to the
house, stayed a while, and then went away again, without
coming into the meeting; so we in the meeting did not know
of their being there. After Thomas Briggs had done speaking,
I was moved of the Lord to stand up, and declare the
Word of Life to the people; and a precious meeting we
had. When it was ended and risen, I heard a great clatter
in the yard; and when we came out, the man of the house
told us, “that the officers had been in the house before, but
did not come into the meeting, going away without doing
anything; and that now the priest in a great rage had sent
them again, and his own servant with them.” But the
meeting being ended before they came, they could do
nothing. Thus the good providence of the Lord preserved
us from the wicked design of the envious priest.
130Thence we went to a Friend’s house on the edge of
Berkshire, where several Friends came to visit us. Afterwards
we passed into Surrey, and had many precious meetings,
till we came to Stephen Smith’s, near Guildford,
where great persecution had been, and very much property
taken away from Friends for their meetings; and under
great threatenings they were at that time; yet we had several
blessed meetings thereabouts, and the Lord’s power was over
all, in and by which we were preserved.
We went into Sussex, by Richard Baxe’s, where we
had a large, precious, quiet meeting, though the constables
had given out threatenings before. I had many more meetings
in that county; and though there were some threatenings,
they were peaceable; and Friends were refreshed, and
established upon the foundation of God, that stands sure.
When I had thoroughly visited Sussex, I went into Kent,
and had many glorious and precious meetings in several
parts of that county. I went to a meeting near Deal, which
was very large; and returning from thence to Canterbury,
visited Friends there. I then passed into the Isle of
Sheppey, where I stayed two or three days; and thither
131came Alexander Parker, George Whitehead, and John Rous
to me.
Next day, finding my service for the Lord finished there,
we passed towards Rochester. On the way, as I was walking
down a hill, a great weight and oppression fell upon my
spirit; I got on my horse again, but the weight remained so
that I was hardly able to ride. At length we came to
Rochester, but I was much spent, being so extremely laden
and burdened with the world’s spirits, that my life was
oppressed under them. I got with difficulty to Gravesend,
and lay at an inn there; but could hardly either eat or sleep.
The next day John Rous and Alexander Parker went for
London; and John Stubbs being come to me, we went
over the ferry into Essex. We came to Hornchurch,
where was a meeting on First-day. After it I rode with
great uneasiness to Stratford, to a Friend’s house, whose
name was Williams, and who had formerly been a captain.
Here I lay exceedingly weak, and at last lost both hearing
and sight. Several Friends came to me from London: and
I told them, that “I should be as a sign to such as would
not see, and such as would not hear the truth.” In
this condition I continued some time. Several came
about me; and though I could not see their persons, I
felt and discerned their spirits, who were honest-hearted,
and who were not. Divers Friends who practised
physic, came to see me, and would have given me
medicines, but I was not to meddle with any; for I was
sensible I had a travail to go through; and therefore desired
none but solid, weighty Friends might be about me. Under
great sufferings and travails, sorrows and oppressions, I lay
for several weeks, whereby I was brought so low and weak
in body, that few thought I could live. Some that were
with me went away, saying, “they would not see me die;”
and it was reported both in London and in the country, that
I was deceased; but I felt the Lord’s power inwardly supporting
me. When they that were about me had given me
132up to die, I spoke to them to get a coach to carry me to
Gerrard Roberts’s, about twelve miles off; for I found it was
my place to go thither. I had now recovered a little glimmering
sight, so that I could discern the people and fields
as I went, and that was all. When I came to Gerrard’s, he
was very weak: and I was moved to speak to him, and encourage
him.
After I had stayed about three weeks there, it was with
me to go to Enfield. Friends were afraid of my removing;
but I told them I might safely go. When I had taken my
leave of Gerrard, and was come to Enfield, I went first to
visit Amor Stoddart, who lay very weak, and almost speechless.
I was moved to tell him, “he had been faithful as a
man, and faithful to God; and that the immortal seed of life
was his crown.” Many more words I was moved to speak
to him, though I was then so weak I was hardly able to stand;
and within a few days after, Amor died. I went to the
widow Dry’s at Enfield, where I lay all that winter,
warring in spirit with the evil spirits of the world,
that warred against truth and Friends. For there
were great persecutions at this time; some meeting-houses
were pulled down, and many were broken up by
soldiers. Sometimes a troop of horse, or a company of foot
came; and some broke their swords, carbines, muskets, and
pikes, with beating Friends; and many they wounded, so
that their blood lay in the streets. Amongst others that were
active in this cruel persecution at London, my old adversary
Colonel Kirby was one; who, with a company of foot, went
to break up several meetings; and he would often enquire
for me at the meetings he broke up. One time as he went
over the water to Horsleydown, there happening some scuffle
between some of his soldiers and some of the watermen,
he bid his men “fire at them.” They did so, and killed
some.
I was under great sufferings at this time, beyond what I
have words to declare. For I was brought into the deep,
133and saw all the religions of the world, and people that
lived in them, and the priests that held them up, who
were as a company of men-eaters, eating up the people like
bread, and gnawing the flesh from off their bones. But
as for true religion and worship, and ministers of God, alack!
I saw there were none amongst those of the world that pretended
to it. For they that pretended to be the church, were
but a company of men-eaters, men of cruel visages, and of
long teeth; and, though they had cried against the men-eaters
in America, I saw they were in the same nature. And as
the great professing Jews did “eat up God’s people like
bread,” and the false prophets and priests then preached
peace to people, so long as they “put into their mouths
and fed them;” but if they fed them not, they prepared war
against them, “they ate their flesh off their bones, and
chopped them as for the caldron;” so these that profess
themselves Christians now (both priests and professors,) and
are not in the same power and Spirit that Christ and the holy
prophets and apostles were in, are in the same nature that
the old professing Jews were in, and are men-eaters as well
as they. These stirred up persecution and set the wicked
informers to work; so that a Friend could hardly speak a
few words in a private family, before they sat down to eat
meat, but some were ready to inform against them. A particular
instance of which I have heard as follows:—
At Droitwich, John Cartwright came to a Friend’s house,
and being moved of the Lord to speak a few words before he
sat down to supper, there came an informer, and stood
hearkening under the window. When he had heard the
Friend speak, hoping to get some gain to himself, he went
and informed, and got a warrant to distrain his goods, under
pretence that there was a meeting at his house; whereas
there were none in the house at that time, but the Friend,
the man of the house, his wife, and their maid-servant. But
this evil-minded man, as he came back with his warrant in
the night, fell off his horse, and broke his neck. So there
134was a wretched end of a wicked informer, who hoped to
enrich himself by spoiling Friends; but the Lord prevented
him, and cut him off in his wickedness.
Now, though it was a cruel, bloody, persecuting time, yet
the Lord’s power went over all, and his everlasting Seed
prevailed; and Friends were made to stand firm and
faithful in the Lord’s power. Some sober people of other
professions would say, “if Friends did not stand, the nation
would run into debauchery.”
Though by reason of my weakness, I could not travel
amongst Friends as I used to do, yet in the motion of life,
I sent the following lines as an encouraging testimony to
them:—
“My Dear Friends,
“The Seed is above all. In it walk: in which ye all
have life. Be not amazed at the weather; for always the
just suffered by the unjust, but the just had the dominion.
All along ye may see, by faith the mountains were subdued;
and the rage of the wicked, and his fiery darts, were
quenched. Though the waves and storms are high, yet your
faith will keep you so as to swim above them; for they are
but for a time, and the truth is without time. Therefore
keep on the mountain of holiness, ye who are led to it by
the light where nothing shall hurt. Do not think that anything
will outlast the truth, which standeth sure; and is over
that which is out of the truth; for the good will overcome
the evil; the light, darkness; the life, death; virtue, vice;
and righteousness, unrighteousness. 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.
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, took notice, that as the
persecution ceased, I came from under the travails and sufferings,
that had lain with such weight upon me; so that towards
135the 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.
Whilst I was under this spiritual suffering, the state of
the 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 dropped out of the elements.
I saw the beauty and glory of it, the length, the breadth, and
the height thereof, all in complete proportion. 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 power of God, which are the
walls of the city;—such are within the city, are members of
it, 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, truth, light,
Spirit, and power of God; they who resist the Holy Ghost,
quench, vex, and grieve the Spirit of God; who hate the
light, turn the grace of God into wantonness, and do despite
to the Spirit of Grace; they who have erred from the faith,
and made shipwreck of it and of a good conscience, who abuse
the power of God, and despise prophesying, revelation, and
inspiration;—these are the dogs and unbelievers that are
without the city. These make up the great city Babylon,
confusion, and her cage, the power of darkness; and the evil
spirit of error surrounds and covers them over. In this great
city Babylon are the false prophets, in the false power and
false spirit; 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, 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
136is 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,) and all may come in. Christ’s blood
being shed for every man, he tasted death for every man,
and enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world; and
his grace that brings salvation having appeared to all men,
there is no place or language where his voice may not be
heard. The Christians in the primitive times were called
by Christ, “a city set upon a hill;” they were also called
“the light of the world,” and “the salt of the earth;” but
when Christians lose 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 preserved above all nations; but when they turned
their backs on God and his law, they were trodden under
foot of other nations. 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 his hands; but when they
disobeyed God, they lost his image, the righteousness and
the holiness in which they were made; they lost their dominion,
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 serpent’s head,”—should
break his power and authority, which had led into captivity,
and had held man therein. So Christ, who is the first and
the last, sets man free, and is the resurrection of the just
and unjust, 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 travails, and miseries of Adam in the
fall. So he is sufficient and of ability to restore man into
the state he was in before he fell; and not into that state
only, but into that also that never fell, even to himself.
I had also in this time a great exercise and travail of
spirit upon me, concerning the powers and rulers of these
nations, from the sense I had of the many tender visitations
137and faithful warnings, that had been given them, and of
their great abuse thereof, who had refused to hear, and 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, have faithfully
warned them, have declared to them our innocency and uprightness,
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 goodwill to him and his people, and desire their eternal
welfare. But if they will not hear, the day of judgment
and of sorrow, of torment, misery, and sudden destruction,
will come from the Lord upon them, that have been the
cause of the sufferings of many thousands of 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 the Lord
God, that he hath a people in this nation, that seek the good
of all men upon the face of the earth; for we have the mind
of the Lord Jesus Christ, that desires not the death of a
sinner, but the salvation and good of all. Blessed be the
name of the Lord our God for ever.”
G. F.
While I continued at Enfield, a sense came upon me of
a hurt that sometimes happened, by persons under the profession
of truth coming out of one country into another, to
take a husband or wife amongst Friends, where they were
strangers, and it was not known whether they were clear
and orderly, or not. And it opened in me to recommend
the following method unto Friends for preventing such
inconveniences:—
“All Friends that marry, whether they be men or
women, if they come out of another nation, island, or county,
let them bring a certificate from the men’s meeting of that
county, nation, or island from which they came, to the men’s
138meeting where they propose their intention of marriage.
For the men’s meeting being made up of the faithful, this
will stop all wrong spirits from roving up and down. When
any come with a certificate, or letter of recommendation
from one men’s meeting to another, one is refreshed by
another, and can set their hands and hearts to the thing.
This will prevent a great deal of trouble. And then what
ye have to say to them in the power of God, in admonishing
and instructing them, ye are left to the power and Spirit of
God to do it, and to let them know the duty of marriage,
and what it is; that there may be unity and concord in the
Spirit, and power, and light, and wisdom of God, throughout
all the men’s meetings in the whole world, in one, in the
life.
“Let copies of this be sent to every county, and nation,
and island where Friends are, that so all things may be kept
holy, and pure, and righteous, in unity and peace; and God
over all may be glorified among you, his lot, his people and
inheritance, who are his adopted sons and daughters, and
heirs of his life. So no more, but my love in that which
changeth not.”
G. F.
14th of 1st Month, 1670-1.
When I had recovered, so that I could walk a little, I
went from Enfield to Gerrard Roberts’s again, and thence to
the women’s school at Shacklewell, and so to the meeting
at Gracechurch Street, London; where, though I was yet
but weak, the Lord’s power upheld and enabled me to declare
his eternal Word of life.
About this time I was moved to pray to the Lord as follows:—
“O Lord God Almighty! Prosper truth, and preserve
justice and equity in the land! Bring down all injustice
and iniquity, oppression and falsehood, cruelty and unmercifulness
in the land; that mercy and righteousness may
flourish!
“O Lord God! Set up and establish verity, and preserve
it in the land! Bring down in the land all debauchery and
vice, whoredoms and fornication, and this raping spirit,
which causeth people to have no esteem of thee, O God!
nor of their own souls or bodies; nor of Christianity, modesty,
or humanity.
“O Lord! Put it in the magistrates’ hearts to bring
down all this ungodliness, violence, and cruelty, profaneness,
cursing, and swearing; and to put down all those lewd
139houses and play-houses, which corrupt youth and people,
and lead them from thy kingdom, where no unclean thing
can enter, neither shall come! Such works lead people to
hell! Lord! In mercy bring down all these things in the
nation, to stop thy wrath, O God! from coming on the land.”
G. F.
This Prayer was written at night, the 17th
of the 2nd Month, 1671.
CHAPTER IV.
140
1671-1672.—His wife being still detained a prisoner, George Fox puts
two women Friends upon going to the king to procure her discharge,
which he granted under the broad seal, to clear her person and
estate after being a prisoner under premunire ten years—he sails
for the plantations in America with several other Friends—chased
by a Sallee man-of-war—the master in a strait asks advice of
George Fox, who seeks counsel of the Lord, and is assured of their
preservation—the event verifies the prediction—they land at
Barbadoes after a seven weeks’ passage—a man in the island, who
was greatly incensed against George Fox without just cause, and
who had threatened his life, died a few days before his landing—is
laid up for some weeks—writes to Friends in England—exhorts
Friends to care and watchfulness in regard to marriages, keeping
registers and records, providing burial grounds, &c.—to deal mildly
with their negroes, and, after certain years of servitude, to set
them free—writes a further exhortation to Friends in England—visits
the governor, who is very kind—has many large meetings,
and there is a great convincement; Colonel Lyne testifies how
much Friends exalt Christ in all his offices beyond what he had
ever heard—the priests rage, and try in vain to stir up persecution—there
is much clamour and cavilling against Friends, and many
slanders and false reports are issued, which George Fox answers
in a paper addressed to the governor—the governor visits him—writes
to his wife—sails for Jamaica, where he has many meetings,
and many are convinced—Elizabeth Hooton dies there.
I mentioned before, that, upon the notice I received of
my wife’s being imprisoned again, I sent two of her daughters
to the king, and they procured his order to the sheriff of
Lancashire, for her discharge. But though I expected she
would be set at liberty thereby, this violent storm of persecution
coming suddenly on, the persecutors there found means
to hold her still in prison. But now the persecution a little
ceasing, I was moved to speak to Martha Fisher and another
woman Friend, to go to the king about her liberty. They
went in faith, and in the Lord’s power, who gave them favour
with the king, so that he granted a discharge under the broad-seal,
to clear both her and her estate, after she had been ten
years a prisoner, and premunired; the like whereof was
141scarcely to be heard of in England. I sent down the discharge
forthwith by a Friend; by whom also I wrote to her,
informing her how to get it delivered to the justices, and
acquainting her that it was upon me from the Lord to go beyond
the seas to visit America; and therefore desired her to
hasten to London, as soon as she could conveniently, after
she had obtained her liberty, because the ship was then fitting
for the voyage. In the meantime I got to Kingston, and
stayed at John Rous’s till my wife came up, and then I began
to prepare for the voyage. But the Yearly Meeting being
near at hand, I stayed till that was over. Many Friends
came up to it from all parts of the nation, and a very large
and precious meeting it was; for the Lord’s power was over
all, and his glorious everlastingly-renowned Seed of life was
exalted above all.
After this meeting was over, and I had finished my services
for the Lord in England, the ship and the Friends that
intended to go with me being ready, I went to Gravesend
on the 12th of 6th month, my wife and several Friends
accompanying me to the Downs. We went from Wapping
in a barge to the ship, which lay a little below Gravesend,
and there we found the Friends that were bound for the voyage
with me, who had gone down to the ship the night
before. Their names were Thomas Briggs, William Edmundson,
John Rous, John Stubbs, Solomon Eccles, James
Lancaster, John Cartwright, Robert Widders, George Pattison,
John Hull, Elizabeth Hooton, and Elizabeth Miers. The
vessel was a yacht, called the Industry; the captain’s name
Thomas Forster, and the number of passengers about fifty.
I lay that night on board, but most of the Friends at Gravesend.
Early next morning the passengers, and those Friends
that intended to accompany us to the Downs, being come on
board, we took our leave in great tenderness of those that
came with us to Gravesend only, and set sail about six in the
morning for the Downs. Having a fair wind, we out-sailed
142all the ships that were outward-bound, and got thither by
evening. Some of us went ashore that night, and lodged at
Deal; where, we understood, an officer had orders from the
governor to take our names in writing; which he did next
morning, though we told him they had been taken at Gravesend.
In the afternoon, the wind serving, I took leave of my
wife and other Friends, and went on board. Before we
could sail, there being two of the king’s frigates riding in the
Downs, the captain of one of them sent his press-master on
board us, who took three of our seamen. This would certainly
have delayed, if not wholly prevented, our voyage,
had not the captain of the other frigate, being informed of
the leakiness of our vessel, and the length of our voyage, in
compassion and much civility, spared us two of his own
men. Before this was over, a custom-house officer came on
board to peruse packets and get fees; so that we were kept
from sailing till about sunset; during which delay a very
considerable number of merchantmen, outward-bound, were
got several leagues before us. Being clear, we set sail in the
evening, and next morning overtook part of that fleet about
the height of Dover. We soon reached the rest, and in a
little time left them all behind; for our yacht was counted
a very swift sailer. But she was very leaky, so that the seamen
and some of the passengers did, for the most part, pump
day and night. One day they observed, that in two hours’
time she sucked in sixteen inches of water in the well.
When we had been about three weeks at sea, one afternoon
we spied a vessel about four leagues astern of us. Our
master said it was a Sallee man-of-war, that seemed to give
us chase. Our master said, “Come, let us go to supper, and
when it grows dark we shall lose him.” This he spoke to
please and pacify the passengers, some of whom began to be
very apprehensive of the danger. But Friends were well
satisfied in themselves, having faith in God, and no fear
upon their spirits. When the sun was gone down, I saw the
ship out of my cabin making towards us. When it
143grew dark, we altered our course to miss her; but she
altered also, and gained upon us. At night the master
and others came into my cabin, and asked me, “what
they should do?” I told them, “I was no mariner;”
and I asked them, “what they thought was
best to do?” They said, “There were but two ways, either
to outrun him, or to tack about, and hold the same course
we were going before.” I told them, “if he were a thief,
they might be sure he would tack about tootoo; and as for outrunning
him, it was to no purpose to talk of that, for they
saw he sailed faster than we.” They asked me again “what
they should do? for,” they said, “if the mariners had taken
Paul’s counsel they had not come to the damage they did.”
I answered, “it was a trial of faith, and therefore the Lord
was to be waited on for counsel.” So retiring in spirit, the
Lord showed me, “that his life and power was placed between
us and the ship that pursued us.” I told this to the
master and the rest, and that our best way was to tack about
and steer our right course. I desired them also to put out
all their candles, but the one they steered by, and to speak
to all the passengers to be still and quiet. About eleven at
night, the watch called and said, “they were just upon us.”
That disquieted some of the passengers; whereupon I sat
up in my cabin, and looking through the porthole, the moon
being not quite down, I saw them very near us. I was
getting up to go out of the cabin; but remembering the word
of the Lord, “that his life and power was placed between
us and them,” I lay down again. The master and some of
the seamen came again and asked me, “if they might not
steer such a point?” I told them, “they might do as they
would.” By this time the moon was quite down, a fresh
gale arose, and the Lord hid us from them; and we sailed
briskly on and saw them no more. The next day, being the
first day of the week, we had a public meeting in the ship,
as we usually had on that day throughout the voyage, and
the Lord’s presence was greatly among us. And I desired the
144people “to mind the mercies of the Lord, who had delivered
them; for they might have been all in the Turks’ hands, by
that time had not the Lord’s hand saved them.” About a
week after, the master and some of the seamen endeavoured
to persuade the passengers, that it was not a Turkish pirate
that chased us, but a merchantman going to the Canaries.
When I heard of it, I asked them, “Why then did they
speak so to me? why did they trouble the passengers? and
why did they tack about from him and alter their course?”
I told them “they should take heed of slighting the mercies
of God.”
Afterwards, while we were at Barbadoes, there came in
a merchant from Sallee, and told the people, “that one of
the Sallee men-of-war saw a monstrous yacht at sea, the
greatest that ever he saw, and had her in chase, and was just
upon her, but that there was a spirit in her that he could not
take.” This confirmed us in the belief that it was a Sallee-man
we saw make after us, and that it was the Lord that delivered
us out of his hands.
I was not sea-sick during the voyage, as many of the
Friends and other passengers were; but the many hurts and
bruises I had formerly received, and the infirmities I had
contracted in England by extreme cold and hardships, that I
had undergone in many long and sore imprisonments, returned
upon me at sea; so that I was very ill in my stomach
and full of violent pains in my bones and limbs. This was
after I had been at sea about a month. For about three
weeks after I came first to sea, I perspired abundantly, chiefly
my head, and my body broke out in pimples, and my
legs and feet swelled extremely, so that my stockings
and slippers could not be drawn on without difficulty and
great pain. Suddenly the sweating ceased, so that when I
came into the hot climate, where others perspired most freely,
I could not perspire at all; but my flesh was hot, dry, and
burning; and that which broke out in pimples, struck in
again to my stomach and heart, so that I was very ill, and
145weak beyond expression. Thus I continued during the rest
of the voyage, which was about a month; for we were above
seven weeks at sea.
On the third of the eighth month, early in the morning,
we discovered the Island of Barbadoes, but it was between
nine and ten at night ere we came to anchor in Carlisle
Bay. We got on shore as soon as we could, and I, with
some others, walked to a Friend’s house, a merchant, whose
name was Richard Forstall, above a quarter of a mile from
the bridge. But being very ill and weak, I was so tired with
that little walk, that I was in a manner spent by the time I got
thither. There I abode very ill for several days, and though
they several times gave me things to make me perspire, they
could not effect it. But what they gave me did rather parch
and dry up my body, and made me probably worse than
otherwise I might have been. Thus I continued about three
weeks after I landed, having much pain in my bones, joints,
and whole body, so that I could hardly get any rest; yet I
was pretty cheerful, and my spirit kept above it all. Neither
did my illness take me off from the service of truth, but
both while I was at sea, and after I came to Barbadoes, before
I was able to travel about, I gave forth several papers
(having a Friend to write for me), some of which I sent by
the first conveyance for England to be printed.
After I had rested three or four days at Richard Forstall’s,
where many Friends came to visit me, John Rous[23] having
borrowed a coach of Colonel Chamberlain, came to fetch me
to his father, Thomas Rous’s house.[23] But it was late ere we
146could get thither, and little or no rest could I take that night.
A few days after, Colonel Chamberlain, who had so kindly
lent his coach, paid me a visit, and was very courteous towards
me.
Soon after I came into the island, I was informed of a
remarkable occurrence, wherein the justice of God did
eminently appear. It was thus:—
There was a young man of Barbadoes, whose name was
John Drakes, (a person of some note in the world’s account,
but a common swearer and wicked man,) who, when in
London, had a mind to marry a Friend’s daughter, left by
her mother very young, and with a considerable portion, to
the care and government of several Friends, whereof I was
one. He made application to me, that he might have my
consent to marry this young maid. I told him, “I was one
of her overseers appointed by her mother, who was a widow,
to take care of her; that if her mother had intended her for
a match to any man of the world, she would have disposed
of her accordingly; but she committed her to us, that she
might be trained up in the fear of the Lord, and therefore I
should betray the trust reposed in me, if I should consent
that he who was out of the fear of God, should marry her;
which I would not do.” When he saw that he could not
obtain his desire, he returned to Barbadoes with great
offence of mind against me, but without just cause. Afterwards,
when he heard I was coming to Barbadoes, he swore
desperately, and threatened, that “if he could possibly procure
it, he would have me burned to death when I came
there.” Which a Friend hearing, asked him, “what had I
done to him, that he was so violent against me?” He would
147not answer, but said again, “I’ll have him burned.” Whereupon
the Friend replied, “Do not march on too furiously,
lest thou come too soon to thy journey’s end.” About ten
days after, he was struck with a violent burning fever, of
which he died; and by which his body was so scorched,
that the people said, “it was as black as a coal.” Three
days before I landed, his body was laid in the dust. This
was taken notice of as a sad example.
While I continued so weak, that I could not go abroad
to meetings, the other Friends that came over with me,
bestirred themselves in the Lord’s work. The day but one
after we landed, they had a great meeting at the bridge, and
after that several others in different parts of the island;
which alarmed the people of all sorts, so that many came to
our meetings, and some of the chief rank. For they had got
my name, understanding I was come upon the island, and
expected to see me at those meetings, not knowing that I was
unable to go abroad. And indeed, my weakness continued
the longer on me, by reason that my spirit was much pressed
down at first with the filth and dirt and unrighteousness of
the people, which lay as a heavy weight and load upon me.
But after I had been above a month upon the island, my
spirit became somewhat easier, and I began to recover in
some measure my health and strength, and to get abroad
among Friends. In the meantime, having opportunity to
send to England, I wrote to Friends there, to let them know
how it was with me, as follows:—
“Dear Friends,
“I have been very weak these seven weeks past, and
not able to write myself. My desire is to you and for you
all, that ye may live in the fear of God, and in love one
unto another, and be subject one to another in the fear of
God. I have been weaker in my body than ever I was in
my life that I remember, yea, my pains have been such as I
cannot express; yet my heart and spirit is strong. I have
hardly perspired these seven weeks past, though I am come
into a very hot climate, where hardly any but are well nigh
continually perspiring; but as for me, my old bruises, colds,
148numbness, and pains, struck inwardly, even to my very
heart. So that I have taken little rest, and the chief things
that were comfortable to my stomach, were a little water
and powdered ginger; but now I begin to drink a little
beer as well as water, and sometimes a little wine and water
mixed. Great pains and travails I have felt, and in measure
am under; but it is well, my life is over all. This island
was to me as all on a fire ere I came to it, but now it is somewhat
quenched and abated. I came in weakness amongst
those that are strong, and have so continued; but now I am
got a little cheery, 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
weak in body when I left you, after I had been in my great
travail amongst you; but after that, it struck all back again
into my body, which was not well settled after so sore travails
in England. Then I was 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
burthened; but I hope, if the Lord give me strength to
manage his work, I shall work thoroughly, 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 handed. I have been almost a month in this
island, but have not been able to go abroad or ride out;
only very lately I rode out twice, a quarter of a mile at a
time, which wearied me much. My love in the truth is to
you all.”
G. F.
Because I was not well able to travel, the Friends of the
island concluded to have their men’s and women’s meeting
for the service of the church at Thomas Rous’s, where I lay;
by which means I was present at each of their meetings, and
had very good service for the Lord in both. For they had
need of information in many things, divers disorders having
crept in for want of care and watchfulness. I exhorted
them, more especially at the men’s meeting, “to be watchful
and careful with respect to marriages, to prevent Friends
marrying in near kindreds, and also to prevent over-hasty
149proceedings towards second marriages, after the death of a
former husband or wife; advising that a decent regard might
be had in such cases to the memory of the deceased husband
or wife.
“As to Friends’ children marrying too young, as at thirteen
or fourteen years of age, I showed them the unfitness
thereof, and the inconveniences and hurts that attend such
childish marriages. I admonished them to purge the floor
thoroughly, to sweep their houses very clean, that nothing
might remain that would defile, and to take care that nothing
be spoken, out of their meetings, to the blemishing or defaming
one of another.
“Concerning the registering 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.
“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 public
uses, and other things relating to the affairs of the church.
“Then as to their blacks or negroes, I desired them to
endeavour to train them up in the fear of God, those that
were bought, and those born in their families, that all might
come to the knowledge of the Lord; that so, with Joshua,
every master of a family might 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 negroes, 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.”[24] Many
150sweet 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, the vessel bound for England not
being gone, I was moved to write another epistle to Friends
there, as 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
blessed, over that which brought the curse; where all shortness
and narrowness of spirit, brittleness and peevishness are.
Therefore keep the holy order of the gospel. Keep in this
blessed Seed, where all may be preserved in temperance,
patience, love, meekness, righteousness, holiness, and peace,
in which the Lord may be seen amongst you, and no ways
dishonoured, but glorified by you all. In all your meetings,
151in cities, towns, and countries, let righteousness flow among
you, and the holy truth be uppermost; the pure Spirit your
guide and leader, and the holy wisdom from above your
orderer, which is gentle, and easy to be entreated. Keep in
the religion that preserves from the spots of the world, which
is pure and undefiled in God’s sight. 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 unholiness and of that which
dishonours God. Be tender of God’s glory, of his
honour, and of his blessed and holy name, in which ye are
gathered. All who profess the truth, see that ye walk in it,
in righteousness, godliness, and holiness; for ‘holiness becomes
the house of God, the household of faith.’ And that
which becomes God’s house, God loves; for he loves righteousness—the
ornament which becomes his house, and all his
family. Therefore see that righteousness run down in all
your assemblies, that it flow, to drive away all unrighteousness.
This preserves your peace with God; for in righteousness,
ye have all peace with the righteous God of Peace, and
one with another.
“Everyone 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, made conformable
unto his image, even the image of the Heavenly Divine Man,
who was before that image which Adam and Eve got from
Satan in the fall; 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 showed forth in life
and conversation, not in words only; yea, and conversion
and repentance, which is a change of the nature of the mind
and of the heart, of the spirit and affections, which have
been below, and come to be set above; and so receive the
things that are from above, and have your conversation in
heaven, not that conversation which is according to the
power of the prince of the air, that now rules in the disobedient.
So be faithful; this is the word of the Lord God
unto you all. See that godliness and holiness, righteousness
and truth, virtue, and the fruits of the good Spirit, flow over
the bad and its fruits, that ye may answer that which is of
God in all; for your heavenly Father is glorified in that ye
bring forth much fruit. Therefore ye, who are plants of his
planting, and his trees of righteousness, see that every tree
be full of fruit.
“Keep in true humility, and in the true love of God,
which doth edify his body; that the true nourishment from
the head, the refreshings, and springs, and rivers of water,
152and bread of life, may be plenteously known and felt
amongst you; that so praises may ascend unto God. Be
faithful to the Lord God, and just and true in all your dealings
and doings with men. Be not negligent in your men’s
meetings to admonish, to exhort, and reprove in the spirit of
love and of meekness; to seek that which is lost, and to bring
back again that which hath been driven away. So let all
minds and spirits, souls and hearts, be bended down under
the yoke of Christ Jesus, the power of God.
“Much I could write, but am weak, and have been
mostly so since I left you. Burthens and travails I have been
under, and have gone through many ways; but it is well.
The Lord Almighty knows my work, which he hath sent me
forth to do by his everlasting arm and power; which is from
everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be his holy name, which
I am in, and in which my love is to you all.”
G. F.
After I was able to go about, and had been a little
amongst Friends, I went to visit the governor; Lewis
Morice, Thomas Rous, and some other Friends being with
me. He received us very civilly, and treated us very kindly,
making us dine with him; and keeping us most part of the
day before he let us go away.
The same week I went to Bridge-Town. There was
to be a general meeting of Friends that week; and the visit
I had made to the governor, and the kind reception I had
with him, being generally known to the officers, civil and
military, many came to this meeting from most parts of the
island, and those not of the meanest rank; several being
judges or justices, colonels or captains; so that a very great
meeting we had, both of Friends and others. The Lord’s
blessed power was plentifully with us; and although I was
somewhat straightened for time, three other Friends having
spoken before me, yet the Lord opened things through me
to the general and great satisfaction of them that were present.
Colonel Lewis Morice came to this meeting, and with him a
neighbour of his, a judge in the country, whose name was
Ralph Fretwell; who was very well satisfied, and received
the truth.
Paul Gwin, a jangling Baptist, came into the meeting,
153and asked me, “How I spelt Cain? and whether I had the
same spirit as the apostles had?” I told him, “Yes.” And
he bade the judge take notice of it. I told him, “He that
had not a measure of the same Holy Ghost as the apostles
had, was possessed with an unclean spirit.” And then he
went his way.
I went home with Lewis Morice that night, being about
nine or ten miles, going part of the way by boat, the rest on
horseback. The place where his plantation was, I thought
to be in the finest air of the island. The next day Thomas
Briggs and William Edmundson came to see me, intending
to leave the island the day following, to go on the Lord’s
service to Antigua and Nevis. Lewis Morice went with
them; at Antigua they had several good meetings, to which
there was a great resort of people; and many were convinced.
But when they went to Nevis, the governor, an old
persecutor, sent soldiers on board the vessel, to stop them,
and would not suffer them to land. Wherefore, after Friends
of the place had been on board the vessel with them, and
they had been sweetly refreshed together, feeling the Lord’s
power and presence amongst them, they returned to
Antigua; where having stayed a while longer, they came
back again to Bardadoes, Thomas Briggs being weak and ill.
Of the other Friends that came over with me from
England, James Lancaster, John Cartwright, and George
Pattison, were gone some time before to Jamaica, and others
to other places, so that few remained in Barbadoes with me.
We had many great and precious meetings, both for worship
and for the affairs of the church; to the former of which
many other people came. At one of these meetings Colonel
Lyne, a sober person, was so well satisfied with what I
declared, that he said, “Now I can gainsay such as I have
heard speak evil of you; who say, you do not own Christ,
nor that he died; whereas I perceive you exalt Christ in all
his offices beyond what I have ever heard before.”[25] This
154man, observing a person take in writing the heads of what I
delivered, desired to have a copy of it; and stayed another
day with us; so great a love was raised in him to the truth.
Indeed, a very great convincement there was in most parts
of the island; which made the priests and professors rage.
Our meetings were very large, and free from disturbance
from the government, though the envious priests and some professors
endeavoured to stir up the magistrates against us.
When they found they could not prevail that way, some Baptists
came to the meeting at the town, which was full of people of
several ranks and qualities. A great company came with
them; and they brought a slanderous paper, written by John
Pennyman, with which they made a great noise. But the
Lord gave me wisdom and utterance to answer their cavils;
so that the auditory generally received satisfaction, and those
quarrelsome professors lost ground. When they had wearied
themselves with clamour, they went away; but the people
staying, the meeting was continued; the things they cavilled
about were further opened and cleared; and the life and
power of God came over all. But the rage and envy in our
155adversaries did not cease; they endeavoured to defame Friends
with many false and scandalous reports, which they spread
abroad through the island. Whereupon we drew up a paper,
to go forth in the name of the people called Quakers, for the
clearing of truth and Friends from those false reports. It
was directed thus:—
“For the Governor of Barbadoes, with his Council and
Assembly, and all others in power, both civil and military,
in this Island; from the people called Quakers.
“Whereas many scandalous lies and slanders have been
cast upon us, to render us odious; as that ‘We deny God,
and Christ Jesus, and the Scriptures of truth,’ &c. This is
to inform you, that all our books and declarations, which for
these many years have been published to the world, clearly
testify the contrary. Yet, for your satisfaction, we now plainly
and sincerely declare, ‘that we do own and believe in God,
the only wise, omnipotent, and everlasting God, the Creator
of all things both in heaven and in earth, and the preserver
of all that he hath made; who is God over all, blessed for
ever; to whom be all honour and glory, dominion, praise,
and thanksgiving, both now and for evermore!’
“And we own and believe in Jesus Christ, his beloved
and only begotten Son, in whom he is well pleased; who
was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin
Mary; in whom we have redemption through his blood, even
the forgiveness of sins; who is the express image of the
Invisible God, the first-born of every creature, by whom
were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in
earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or
dominions, principalities, or powers, all things were created
by him. And we do own and believe that He was made a
sacrifice for sin, who knew no sin, neither was guile found
in his mouth; that he was crucified for us in the flesh, without
the gates of Jerusalem; and that he was buried, and rose
again the third day by the power of his Father, for our justification;
and that he ascended up into heaven, and now
sitteth at the right hand of God. This Jesus, who was the
foundation of the holy prophets and apostles, is our foundation;
and we believe that there is no other foundation to be
laid than that which is laid, even Christ Jesus; who tasted
death for every man, shed his blood for all men, and is the
propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for
the sins of the whole world; according as John the Baptist
testified of him, when he said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God,
156that taketh away the sin of the world.’ John i. 29. We believe
that he alone is our Redeemer and Saviour, even the
Captain of our Salvation, who saves us from sin, as well as
from hell, and the wrath to come, and destroys the devil and
his works; he is the Seed of the woman, that bruises the
serpent’s head, to wit, Christ Jesus, the Alpha and Omega,
the First and the Last. He is (as the Scriptures of truth say of
him,) our wisdom and righteousness, justification and redemption;
neither is there salvation in any other, for there
is no other name under heaven given among men whereby
we may be saved. It is he alone, who is the Shepherd and
Bishop of our souls; He is our Prophet, whom Moses long
since testified of, saying, ‘A prophet shall the Lord your
God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him
shall ye hear in all things, whatsoever he shall say unto you;
and it shall come to pass, that every soul that will not hear
that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.’
Acts iii. 22, 23.
“He it is that is now come, and hath given us an
understanding, that we may know him that is true. He rules
in our hearts by his law of love and of life, and makes us free
from the law of sin and death. We have no life but by him;
for he is the quickening Spirit, the second Adam, the Lord
from heaven; by whose blood we are cleansed, and our consciences
sprinkled from dead works to serve the living God.
He is our Mediator, that makes peace and reconciliation between
God offended and us offending, He being the oath of
God, the new covenant of light, life, grace, and peace; the
author and finisher of our faith. This Lord Jesus Christ, the
heavenly Man, the Emmanuel, God with us, we all own and
believe in; him whom the high-priest raged against, and
said, he had spoken blasphemy; whom the priests and the
elders of the Jews took counsel together against, and put to
death; the same whom Judas betrayed for thirty pieces of
silver, which the priests gave him as a reward for his treason,
who also gave large money to the soldiers to broach a horrible
lie, namely, ‘that his disciples came and stole him away by
night, whilst they slept.’ After he was risen from the dead,
the history of the Acts of the Apostles sets forth, how the
chief priests and elders persecuted the disciples of this Jesus,
for preaching Christ and his resurrection. This, we say, is
that Lord Jesus Christ, whom we own to be our life and
salvation.
“Concerning the Holy Scriptures, we do believe that
they were given forth by the Holy Spirit of God, through
the holy men of God, who (as the Scripture itself declares,
2 Pet. i. 21.) ‘spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.’
157We believe they are to be read, believed, and fulfilled (He
that fulfils them, is Christ;) and they are ‘profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in
righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly
furnished unto all good works,’ 2 Tim. iii, 15, and are ‘able to
make wise unto salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus.’
We believe that the Holy Scriptures are the words of God;
for it is said, Ex. xx. 1, ‘God spake all these words, saying,’
&c., meaning the ten commandments given forth upon Mount
Sinai. And in Rev. xxii. 18, saith John, ‘I testify to every
man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book: if
any man addeth unto these, and if any man shall take away
from the words of the book of this prophecy’ (not the word,)
&c. So in Luke i. 20, ‘Because‘Because thou believedst not my words.’
And in John v. 47; xv. 7; xiv. 23; and xii. 47. So that we
call the Holy Scriptures, as Christ and the apostles called
them, and holy men of God called them, viz., the words of
God.
“Another slander which they have cast upon us is, ‘that
we teach the negroes to rebel;’ a thing we utterly abhor in
our hearts; the Lord knows it, who is the searcher of all
hearts, and knows all things, and can testify for us, that this
is a most abominable untruth. For that which we have
spoken to them is, ‘to exhort and admonish them to be sober,
and to fear God; to love their masters and mistresses, and to
be faithful and diligent in their masters’ service and business;
and then their masters and overseers would love them, and
deal kindly and gently with them; also, that they should
not beat their wives, nor the wives their husbands, neither
should the men have many wives; that they should not
steal, or be drunk,—should not commit adultery, or fornication,—should
not curse, swear, lie, or give bad words to one
another, or to any one else: for there is something in them
that tells them, they should not practise these or any other
evils. But if, notwithstanding, they should do them, then
we let them know there are but two ways, the one that leads
to heaven, where the righteous go; and the other that leads
to hell, where the wicked and debauched, whoremongers
and adulterers, murderers and liars go. To the one the Lord
will say, ‘Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world;’
but to the other he will say, ‘Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:’ so ‘the
wicked go into everlasting punishment, but the righteous
into life eternal.’ Matt. xxv.
“Consider, Friends, it is no transgression for a master
of a family to instruct his family himself, or for some others
158to do it in his behalf; but rather it is a very great duty incumbent
upon them. Abraham and Joshua did so: of the first the
Lord said, Gen. xviii. 19, ‘I know that Abraham will command
his children and his household after him; and they shall
keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment, that
the Lord may bring upon Abraham the things that he hath
spoken of him.’ And the latter said, Josh. xxiv. 15, ‘Choose
ye this day whom ye will serve; but as for me and my
house, we will serve the Lord.’ We declare that we esteem it a
duty incumbent on us to pray with and for those in and belonging
to our families, and to teach, instruct, and admonish
them; this being a command of the Lord, disobedience
whereunto will provoke his displeasure; as may be seen,
Jer. x. 25, ‘Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know
thee not, and upon the families that call not upon thy name.’
Now Negroes, Tawnies, Indians, make up a very great part of
the families in this island; for whom an account will be
required by him who comes to judge both quick and
dead, at the great day of judgment, when everyone shall be
‘rewarded according to the deeds done in the body, whether
they be good or whether they be evil:’evil:’ at that day, we say,
of the resurrection both of the good and of the bad, of the
just and of the unjust, when ‘the Lord Jesus shall be revealed
from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking
vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with
everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and
from the glory of his power, when he shall come to be
glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe
in that day.’ 2 Thess. i. 8, &c. See also 2 Pet. iii. 3, &c.”
This wicked slander (of our endeavouring to make the
negroes rebel) our adversaries took occasion to raise, from
our having had some meetings with and amongst the
negroes; for both I and other Friends had several meetings
with them in several plantations, wherein we exhorted them
to justice, sobriety, temperance, chastity, and piety, and to
be subject to their masters and governors; which was altogether
contrary to what our envious adversaries maliciously
suggested against us.
As I had been to visit the governor as soon as I was
well able, after I came thither; and so when I was at Thomas
Rous’s, the governor came to see me, carrying himself very
159courteously.
Having been three months or more in Barbadoes, and
having visited Friends, thoroughly settled meetings, and
despatched the service for which the Lord had brought me
thither, I felt my spirit clear of that island, and found
drawings to Jamaica. When I had communicated this to
Friends, I acquainted the governor also, and divers of his
council, that I intended shortly to leave the island and go to
Jamaica. This I did, that as my coming thither was open
and public, so my departure also might be. Before I left
the island, I wrote the following letter to my wife; that
she might understand both how it was with me, and how I
proceeded in my travels:—
“To“To whom is my love, and to all the children in the Seed
of Life that changeth not, but is over all; blessed be the
Lord for ever. I have undergone great sufferings in my
body and spirit, beyond words; but the God of heaven be
praised, his truth is over all. I am now well; and, if
the Lord permit, within a few days I pass from Barbadoes
towards Jamaica; and I think to stay but little there. I
desire that ye may be all kept free in the Seed of Life, out of
all cumbrances. Friends are generally well. Remember
me to Friends that enquire after me. So no more, but my
love in the Seed and Life that changeth not.”
G.F.
Barbadoes, 6th of 11th Month, 1671.
I set sail from Barbadoes to Jamaica on the 8th of the
11th month, 1671; Robert Widders, William Edmundson,
Solomon Eccles, and Elizabeth Hooton, going with me.
Thomas Briggs and John Stubbs, remained in Barbadoes;
with whom were John Rous and William Bailey. We had a
quick and easy passage to Jamaica, where we met with our
Friends James Lancaster, John Cartwright, and George
Pattison again, who had been labouring there in the service
of truth; into which we forthwith entered with them,
travelling up and down through the island, which is large;
and a brave country it is, though the people are, many of
them, debauched and wicked. We had much service. There
160was a great convincement, and many received the truth;
some of whom were people of account in the world. We
had many meetings there, which were large and very quiet.
The people were civil to us, so that not a mouth was opened
against us. I was twice with the governor, and some other
magistrates, who all carried themselves lovingly towards me.
About a week after we landed in Jamaica, Elizabeth
Hooton, a woman of great age, who had travelled much in
truth’s service, and suffered much for it, departed this life.
She was well the day before she died; and departed in
peace, like a lamb, bearing testimony to truth at her departure.
When we had been about seven weeks in Jamaica, had
brought Friends into pretty good order, and settled several
meetings amongst them, we left Solomon Eccles there; the
rest of us embarked for Maryland, leaving Friends and truth
prosperous in Jamaica, the Lord’s power being over all, and
his blessed Seed reigning.
Before I left Jamaica, I wrote another letter to my wife,
as follows:—
“My dear Heart,
“To whom is my love, and to the children, in that
which changeth not, but is over all; and to all Friends in
those parts. I have been in Jamaica about five weeks.
Friends here are generally well; and there is a convincement:
but things would be too large to write of. Sufferings
in every place attend me; but the blessed Seed is over all:
the great Lord be praised, who is Lord of sea and land, and
of all things therein. We intend to pass from hence about
the beginning of next month, towards Maryland if the Lord
please. Dwell all of you in the Seed of God; in his truth
I rest in love to you all.”
G.F.
Jamaica, 23rd of 12th Month, 1671.
CHAPTER V.
161
1672-1673.—-George Fox embarks for Maryland, where he arrives after
a seven weeks’ voyage, and having experienced some remarkable
deliverances—attends a General Meeting for Maryland, which held
four days—several meetings for discipline established—has meetings
with the Indian kings—travels towards New England—attends
the half-year’s meeting on Long Island, which continued four days—has
a meeting with some opposers—visits Rhode Island, where
the Yearly Meeting for New England is held, which continued six
days—attends a marriage there, and has a meeting with some
Ranters—also one with some Indians on Shelter Island—one of his
companions thrown from his horse and lays apparently dead, but
soon recovers in an unexpected manner—they reach Maryland after
nine days’ travel overland between three and four hundred miles—visits
a judge who is ill, but recovers—attends the General Meeting
for Maryland, which held five days—sails for Virginia, and arrives
in three days, a distance of 200 miles—thence proceeds towards
Carolina—visits the Indians, and shows them that God made but
one woman for one man—returns to Virginia—sails for Maryland—endures
great extremes of heat and cold within a very short period—speaks
to a woman who had been many years in trouble, and
entreats the Lord for her, and she is thereupon restored—attends
the General Meeting for Maryland, to the edification and comfort
of Friends—sails for England, and arrives safe, after a six weeks’
passage.
We went on board on the 8th of 1st Month, 1671-2;
and having contrary winds, were a full week sailing forwards
and backwards, before we could get out of sight of
Jamaica. A difficult voyage this proved, and dangerous,
especially in passing through the Gulf of Florida, where we
met with many trials by winds and storms. But the great
God, who is Lord of the sea and land, and who rideth upon
the wings of the wind, did by his power preserve us through
many and great dangers, when by extreme stress of weather
our vessel was many times likely to be upset, and much of her
tackling broken. And indeed we were sensible that the
Lord was a God at hand, and that his ear was open to the
supplications of his people. For when the winds were
162so strong and boisterous, and the storms and tempests so
great, that the sailors knew not what to do, but let the ship
go which way she would; then did we pray unto the Lord,
who graciously heard us, calmed the winds and the seas, gave
us seasonable weather, and made us to rejoice in his salvation;
blessed and praised be the holy name of the Lord,
whose power hath dominion over all, whom the winds and
the seas obey!
We were between six and seven weeks in this passage
from Jamaica to Maryland. Some days before we came
to land, after we had entered the bay of Patuxent River,
a great storm arose, which cast a boat upon us for shelter, in
which were several people of account in the world. We took
them in; but the boat was lost, with five hundred pounds’
worth of goods in it, as they said. They continued on board
us several days, not having any means to get off; and we
had a very good meeting with them in the ship. But provisions
grew short, for they brought none in with them; and
ours, by reason of the length of our voyage, were well nigh
spent when they came to us; so that with their living with
us too, we had now little or none left. Whereupon George
Pattison took a boat, and ventured his life to get to shore;
the hazard was so great, that all but Friends concluded he
would be cast away. Yet it pleased the Lord to bring him
safe to land; and in a short time after, the Friends of the
place came to fetch us to land also, in a seasonable time, for
our provisions were quite spent.
We partook also of another great deliverance in this voyage,
through the good providence of the Lord, which we
came to understand afterwards. For when we were determined
to come from Jamaica, we had our choice of two
vessels, that were both bound for the same coast. One of
these was a frigate, the other a yacht. The master of the
frigate, we thought, asked unreasonably for our passage;
which made us agree with the master of the yacht, who
offered to carry us ten shillings a-piece cheaper than the
163other. We went on board the yacht, and the frigate came
out together with us, intending to be consorts during the
voyage; and for several days we sailed together; but what
with calms and contrary winds, we were in a while separated.
After that, the frigate, losing her way, fell among the Spaniards;
by whom she was taken and plundered, and the
master and mate were made prisoners; afterwards, being retaken
by the English, she was sent home to her owners in
Virginia. Which when we came to understand, we saw and
admired the providence of God, who preserved us out of our
enemies’ hands; and he that was covetous fell among the
covetous.
Here we found John Burnyeat[26] intending shortly to
sail for England; but on our arrival he altered his purpose, and
joined us in the Lord’s service. He had appointed a general
meeting for all the Friends in the province of Maryland, that
he might see them together, and take his leave of them,
before he departed out of the country; and it was so ordered
by the good providence of God, that we landed just in
time to reach that meeting; by which means we had a very
seasonable opportunity of taking the Friends of the province
together. A very large meeting this was, and held four
164days; to which, besides Friends, came many other people,
many of whom were of considerable quality in the world’s
account; for there were amongst them five or six justices of
the peace, a speaker of their parliament or assembly, one of
the council, and divers others of note; who seemed well
satisfied with the meeting.
After the public meetings were over, the men’s and
women’s meetings began; wherein I opened to Friends the
service thereof to their great satisfaction. After this we
went to a place called the Cliffs, where another general
meeting was appointed. We went some part of the way by
land, the rest by water; and a storm arising, our boat was
run on ground, in danger to be beaten to pieces; and the
water came in upon us. I perspired much, having come
very hot out of a meeting before, and was now wet with the
water beside; yet having faith in the divine power, I was
preserved from taking hurt; blessed be the Lord. To this
meeting also many people came, and received the truth
with reverence. We had also a men’s meeting and a
women’s meeting, at which most of the backsliders came in
again; and several of those meetings were established for
taking care of the affairs of the church.
After these two general meetings, we parted company,
dividing ourselves unto several coasts, for the service of
truth. James Lancaster and John Cartwright went by sea
for New England; William Edmundson and three other
Friends sailed for Virginia, where things were much out of
order; John Burnyeat, Robert Widders, George Pattison, and
I, with several Friends of the province, went over by boat to
the eastern shore, and had a meeting there on the First-day;
where many people received the truth with gladness, and
Friends were greatly refreshed. A very large and heavenly
meeting it was; and several persons of quality in that
country were at it, two of whom were justices of the peace.
It was upon me from the Lord, to send to the Indian
emperor and his kings to come to that meeting. The emperor
165came and was at it; but his kings, lying further off, could
not reach in time; yet they came after with their cockarooses.
I had in the evening two good opportunities with them; they
heard the word of the Lord willingly, and confessed to it.
What I spoke to them, I desired them to speak to their
people; and let them know, that “God was raising up his
tabernacle of witness in their wilderness country, and was
setting up his standard and glorious ensign of righteousness.”
They carried themselves very courteously and lovingly, and
inquired “where the next meeting would be, and they would
come to it;” yet they said, “they had had a great debate with
their council about their coming, before they came now.”
Next day we began our journey by land to New England;
a tedious journey through the woods and wilderness, over
bogs and great rivers. We took horse at the head of Tredhaven
Creek, and travelled through the woods, till we
came a little above the head of Miles (now “St.” Michael’s)
River; by which we passed, and rode to the head of Wye
River, and so to the head of Chester River; where,
making a fire, we took up our lodging in the woods. Next
morning we travelled through the woods till we came to
Sassafras River, which we went over in canoes (or Indian
boats,) causing our horses to swim by. Then we rode to
Bohemia River; where in like manner swimming our
horses, we ourselves went over in canoes. We rested a little
while at a plantation by the way, but not long, for we had
thirty miles to ride that afternoon, if we would reach a
town; which we were desirous to do, and therefore rode
hard for it. I with some others, whose horses were strong,
got to the town that night, exceedingly tired, and wet to the
skin; but George Pattison and Robert Widders being weaker-horsed,
were obliged to lie in the woods that night also. The
town we went to was a Dutch town, called Newcastle,
whither Robert Widders and George Pattison came to us next
morning. We departed thence and got over the River
Delaware, not without great danger of some of our lives.
166When we were over, we were troubled to procure guides;
who were hard to get and very chargeable. Then had we
that wilderness country to pass through, since called West
Jersey, not then inhabited by English; so that we have
travelled a whole day together, without seeing man or
woman, house or dwelling-place. Sometimes we lay in the
woods by a fire, and sometimes in the Indians’ wigwams or
houses. We came one night to an Indian town, and lay at
the king’s house, who was a very worthy man. Both he
and his wife received us very lovingly, and his attendants
(such as they were) were very respectful to us. They laid
us mats to lie on; but provision was very short with them,
having caught but little that day.[27] At another Indian town
where we stayed, the king came to us, and he could speak
some English. I spoke to him much, and also to his people,
and they were very loving to us.
At length we came to Middletown, an English plantation
in East Jersey, where there were some Friends, but
we could not stay to have a meeting there at that time, being
earnestly pressed in our spirits, to get to the half-year’s
meeting of Friends at Oyster-Bay in Long Island, which was
very near at hand. We went with a Friend, Richard Hartshorn,
(brother to Hugh Hartshorn, the upholsterer, in
167London,) who received us gladly at his house, where we refreshed
ourselves, and then he carried us and our horses in
his own boat over a great water, which occupied most part
of the day getting over, and set us upon Long Island. We
got that evening to Friends at Gravesend, with whom we
tarried that night, and next day got to Flushing, and the
day following reached Oyster-Bay; several Friends of
Gravesend and Flushing accompanying us.
The half-year’s meeting began next day, which was the
first day of the week, and lasted four days. The first and
second days we had public meetings for worship, to which
people of all sorts came; on the third day were the men’s
and women’s meetings, wherein the affairs of the church
were taken care of. Here we met with some bad spirits, who
had run out from truth into prejudice, contention, and opposition
to the order of truth, and to Friends therein. These
had been very troublesome to Friends in their meetings there
and thereabouts formerly, and likely would have been so
now; but I would not suffer the service of our men’s and
women’s meetings to be interrupted and hindered by their
cavils. I let them know, that “if they had anything to
object against the order of the truth which we were in, we
would give them a meeting another day on purpose.” And
indeed I laboured the more, and travelled the harder to get
168to this meeting, where it was expected many of these contentious
people would be; because I understood they had
reflected much upon me, when I was far from them.
The men’s and women’s meetings being over, on the
fourth day we had a meeting with these discontented people,
to which as many of them as chose came, and as many
Friends as desired were present also; and the Lord’s power
broke forth gloriously to the confounding of the gainsayers.
Then some of those that had been chief in the mischievous
work of contention and opposition against the truth, began
to fawn upon me, and to cast the blame upon others; but
the deceitful spirit was judged down and condemned, and
the glorious truth of God was exalted and set over all; and
they were all brought down and bowed under. Which was
of great service to truth, and to the satisfaction and comfort
of Friends; glory to the Lord for ever!
After Friends were gone to their several habitations, we
stayed some days upon the island; had meetings in several
parts thereof, and good service for the Lord. When we were
clear of the island, we returned to Oyster-Bay, waiting for a
wind to carry us to Rhode Island, which was computed to
be about two hundred miles. As soon as the wind served
we set sail, and arrived there on the thirtieth day of the
third month; and were gladly received by Friends. We
went to Nicholas Easton’s house, who at that time was
governor of the island; where we rested, being very weary
with travelling. On First-day following we had a large
meeting, to which the deputy-governor and several justices
came, who were mightily affected with the truth.
The week following, the Yearly Meeting for all the
Friends of New England and the other colonies adjacent,
was held in this island; to which, besides very many Friends
who lived in those parts, came John Stubbs from Barbadoes,
and James Lancaster and John Cartwright from another
way. This meeting lasted six days, the first four days being
general public meetings for worship, to which abundance of
169other people came; for they having no priest in the island, and
so no restriction to any particular way of worship; and both
the governor and deputy-governor, with several justices of
the peace daily frequenting the meetings; this so encouraged
the people that they flocked in from all parts of the island.
Very good service we had amongst them, and truth had a
good reception. I have rarely observed people, in the state
wherein they stood, hear with more attention, diligence, and
affection, than generally they did, during the four days
together; which also was taken notice of by other Friends.
After these public meetings were over, the men’s meeting
began, which was large, precious, and weighty; and the
day following was the women’s meeting, which also was
large and very solemn. These two meetings being for
ordering the affairs of the church, many weighty things were
opened and communicated to them, by way of advice, information,
and instruction in the services relating thereunto;
that all might be kept clean, sweet, and savoury amongst
them. In these two meetings, several men’s and women’s
meetings for other parts, were agreed and settled, to take
care of the poor, and other affairs of the church; and to see,
that all who profess truth, walk according to the glorious
gospel of God. When this great general meeting in Rhode
Island was ended, it was somewhat hard for friends to part;
for the glorious power of the Lord, which was over all, and
his blessed truth and life flowing amongst them, had so knit
and united them together, that they spent two days in taking
leave one of another, and of the Friends of the island; and
then, being mightily filled with the presence and power of
the Lord, they went away with joyful hearts to their various
habitations, in the several colonies where they lived.[28]
When Friends had taken their leave one of another, we,
who travelled amongst them, dispersed ourselves into our
several services, as the Lord ordered us. John Burnyeat,
170John Cartwright, and George Pattison, went into the eastern
parts of New England, in company with the Friends that
came from thence, to visit the particular meetings there;
whom John Stubbs and James Lancaster intended to follow
a while after, in the same service; but they were not yet
clear of this island. Robert Widders and I stayed some time
longer also upon this island; finding service still here for
the Lord, through the great openness of the people, and the
daily coming in of fresh people from other colonies, for
some time after the general meeting; so that we had many
large and serviceable meetings among them.
During this time a marriage took place amongst Friends
in this island; and we were present. It was at a Friend’s
house, who had formerly been governor of the island; three
justices of the peace, and many others not in profession with
us, were there; and both they and Friends said, they never
saw so solemn an assembly on such an occasion, so weighty
a marriage and so comely an order. Thus truth was set over
all. This might serve for an example to others, for there
were some present from many other places.
After this I had a great travail in spirit concerning the
Ranters in those parts, who had been rude at a meeting
which I was not at. Wherefore I appointed a meeting
amongst them, believing the Lord would give me power over
them; which he did to his praise and glory: blessed be his
name for ever. There were at this meeting many Friends,
and other people; some of whom were justices of the peace,
and other officers, who were generally well affected. One
of the justices, who had been one twenty years, was convinced,
and spoke highly of the truth; and more highly of
me, than is fit for me to mention or take notice of.
Then we had a meeting at Providence, which was very
large, consisting of many sorts of people; I had a great
travail upon my spirit, that it might be preserved quiet, and
that truth might be brought over the people, might gain
entrance, and have a place in them; for they were generally
171above the priests, in high notions; and some of them came
on purpose to dispute. But the Lord, whom we waited upon,
was with us, and his power went over them all; and his
blessed Seed was exalted and set above all. The disputers
were silent, and the meeting was quiet, and ended well;
praised be the Lord! The people went away mightily satisfied,
much desiring another meeting. This place (called
Providence) was about thirty miles from Rhode Island;
and we went to it by water. The governor of Rhode Island,
and many others, went with me thither; and we had the
meeting in a great barn, which was thronged with people,
so that I was exceedingly hot, and perspired much; but all
was well; the glorious power of the Lord shone over all;
glory to the great God for ever!
After this we went to Narraganset, about twenty
miles from Rhode Island; and the governor went with us.
We had a meeting at a justice’s house, where Friends had
never had any before. It was very large, for the country
generally came in; and people came also from Connecticut,
and other parts round about, amongst whom were four
justices of the peace. Most of these people had never heard
Friends before; but they were mightily affected with the
meeting, and a great desire there is after the truth amongst
them; so that our meeting was of very good service, blessed
be the Lord for ever! The justice at whose house the
meeting was, and another justice of that country, invited me
to come again; but I was then clear of those parts, and going
towards Shelter Island. But John Burnyeat and John Cartwright,
being come out of New England into Rhode Island,
before I was gone, I laid this place before them; and they
felt drawings thither, and went to visit them. At another
place, I heard some of the magistrates said among themselves,
“If they had money enough, they would hire me to be their
minister.” This was, where they did not well understand
us, and our principles; but when I heard of it, I said, “It
was time for me to be gone; for if their eye was so much to
172me, or any of us, they would not come to their own teacher.”
For this thing (hiring ministers) had spoiled many, by hindering
them from improving their own talents: whereas
our labour is to bring all men to their own teacher in
themselves.
I went from hence towards Shelter Island, having with
me Robert Widders, James Lancaster, George Pattison, and
John Jay, a planter of Barbadoes. We went in a sloop;
and passing by Point Judith and Block Island, we came
to Fisher’s Island, where at night we went on shore; but
were not able to stay for the mosquitoes which abound there,
and are very troublesome. Wherefore we went into our
sloop again, put off from the shore, and cast anchor; and so
lay in our sloop that night. Next day we went into the
SOUND, but finding our sloop was not able to live in that
water, we returned again, and came to anchor before Fisher’s
Island, where we lay in our sloop that night also. There
fell abundance of rain, and our sloop being open, we were
exceedingly wet. Next day we passed over the waters
called the Two Horse Races, and then by Gardner’s
Island; after which we passed by Gull’s Island, and so
got at length to Shelter Island; which, though it was
but about twenty-seven leagues from Rhode Island, yet
through the difficulty of the passage we were three days in
reaching.
The day after, being First-day, we had a meeting there.
In the same week, I had another among the Indians; at
which were their king, his council, about a hundred Indians
more. They sat down like Friends, and heard very attentively,
while I spoke to them by an interpreter, an Indian
that could speak English well. After the meeting they appeared
very loving, and confessed that what was said to them
was truth. Next First-day we had a great meeting on the
island, to which came many people who had never heard
Friends before. They were very well satisfied with it, and
would not go away when it was over, till they had spoken
173with me; wherefore I went amongst them, and found they
were much taken with the truth; good desires were raised in
them, and great love. Blessed be the Lord, his name spreads,
and will be great among the nations, and dreadful among
the heathen.
While we were in Shelter Island, William Edmundson
came to us, who had been labouring in the work of the Lord
in Virginia. From whence he travelled through the desert-country,
through difficulties and many trials till he came to
Roanoke, where he met with a tender people. After seven
weeks’ service in those parts, sailing over to Maryland, and
so to New York, he came to Long Island, and so to Shelter
Island; where we met with him, and were very glad to hear
from him the good service he had had for the Lord, in the
several places where he had travelled since he parted from
us.
We stayed not long in Shelter Island, but entering our
sloop again, put to sea for Long Island. We had a very
rough passage, for the tide ran so strong for several hours,
that I have not seen the like; and being against us, we could
hardly get forwards, though we had a gale. We were upon
the water all that day and the night following; but found
ourselves next day driven back near to Fisher’s Island. For
there was a great fog, and towards day it was very dark, so
that we could not see what way we made. Besides, it rained
much in the night, which in our open sloop made us very
wet. Next day a great storm arose, so that we were fain to
go over the Sound, and got over with much difficulty. When
we left Fisher’s Island, we passed by Falkner Island, and
came to the Main, where we cast anchor till the storm was
over. Then we crossed the Sound, being all very wet; and
much difficulty we had to get to land, the wind being strong
against us. But blessed be the Lord God of heaven and earth,
and of the seas and waters, all was well. We got safe to
Oyster-Bay in Long Island, on the seventh of sixth
month, very early in the morning, which is about two hundred
174miles from Rhode Island. At Oyster-bay we had a very
large meeting. The same day James Lancaster and Christopher
Holder[29] went over the Bay to Rye, on the continent, in
Governor Winthrop’s government, and had a meeting there.
From Oyster-Bay we passed about thirty miles to Flushing,
where we had a very large meeting; many hundreds of
people being there, some of whom came about thirty miles
to it. A glorious and heavenly meeting it was (praised be
the Lord God!) and the people were much satisfied.
Meanwhile Christopher Holder and some other Friends went
to a town in Long Island, called Jamaica, and had a meeting
there. We passed from Flushing to Gravesend, about
twenty miles, and there had three precious meetings; to
which many would have come from New York, but the
weather hindered them.
Being clear of this place, we hired a sloop; and the
wind serving, set out for the New Country, now called
Jersey. Passing down the Bay by Coney Island, Natton
175(now Governor’s) Island, and Staten Island, we came to
Richard Hartshorn’s, at Middletown Harbour, about
break of day, the 27th of sixth Month. Next day we rode
about thirty miles into the country through the woods and
over very bad bogs, one worse than all the rest; the descent
into which was so steep, that we were fain to slide down
with our horses, and then let them lie and breathe, before
they could go on. This place the people of the country
called Purgatory. We got at length to Shrewsbury in East
Jersey, and on First-day had a precious meeting there, to
which Friends and other people came from far; and the
blessed presence of the Lord was with us. The same week
we had a men’s and women’s meeting out of most parts of
New Jersey. They are building a meeting-place in the midst
of them, and there is a monthly and general meeting set up;
which will be of great service in those parts, in “keeping
up the gospel order and government of Christ Jesus (of the
increase of which there is no end), that they who are faithful
may see that all who profess the holy truth live in the pure
religion, and walk as becometh the gospel.”
While we were at Shrewsbury, an accident befell, which,
176for the time, was a great exercise to us. John Jay, a Friend
of Barbadoes, who came with us from Rhode Island, and intended
to accompany us through the woods to Maryland,
being to try a horse, got upon his back; and the horse fell a-running,
and cast him down upon his head, and broke his
neck, as the people said. They that were near him took him
up as dead, carried him a good way, and laid him on a tree.
I got to him as soon as I could; and feeling him, concluded
he was dead. As I stood by him, pitying him and his family
I took hold of his hair, and his head turned any way, his
neck was so limber. Whereupon I took his head in both my
hands, and setting my knees against the tree, I raised his
head, and perceived there was nothing out or broken that
way. Then I put one hand under his chin, and the other
behind his head, and raised his head two or three times with
all my strength, and brought it in. I soon perceived his neck
began to grow stiff again, and then he began to rattle in the
throat, and quickly after to breathe. The people were
amazed: but I bid them have a good heart, be of good faith,
and carry him into the house. They did so, and set him by
the fire. I bid them get him something warm to drink, and
put him to bed. After he had been in the house a while he
began to speak; but he did not know where he had been.
The next day we passed away (and he with us, pretty well)
about sixteen miles to a meeting at Middletown, through
woods and bogs, and over a river; where we swam our horses,
and got over ourselves upon a hollow tree. Many hundred
miles did he travel with us after this. To this meeting came
most of the people of the town. A glorious meeting we had,
and the Truth was over all; blessed be the great Lord God
for ever!
After the meeting we went to Middletown-Harbour,
about five miles, in order to take our long journey next
morning, through the woods towards Maryland; having hired
Indians for our guides. I determined to pass through the
woods on the other side of Delaware-Bay, that we might head
177the creeks and rivers as much as possible. On the 9th of the
7th month we set forwards, and passed through many Indian
towns, and over some rivers and bogs; and when we had
rode about forty miles, we made a fire at night, and laid by
it. As we came among the Indians, we declared the day of
the Lord to them. Next day we travelled fifty miles, as we
computed; and at night, finding an old house, which the
Indians had forced the people to leave, we made a fire and
stayed there, at the head of Delaware-Bay. Next day we
swam our horses over a river about a mile, at twice, first to
an island called Upper Tinicum, and then to the mainland;
having hired Indians to help us over in their canoes. This
day we could reach but about thirty miles, and came at
night to a Swede’s house, where we got a little straw, and
stayed that night. Next day, having hired another guide, we
travelled about forty miles through the woods, and made a
fire at night, by which we lay, and dried ourselves; for we
were often wet in our travels. The next day we passed over
a desperate river, which had in it many rocks and broad
stones, very hazardous to us and our horses. Thence we
came to Christiana River, where we swam our horses,
and went over ourselves in canoes; but the sides of this
river were so bad and miry, that some of the horses had like
to have been laid up. Thence we went to Newcastle,
heretofore called New Amsterdam; and being very weary,
and inquiring in the town where we could buy some corn
for our horses, the governor came and invited me to his house;
and afterwards desired me to lodge there, saying he had a
bed for me, and I should be welcome. So I stayed there,
the other Friends being taken care of also. This was on the
seventh day of the week; and he offering his house for a
meeting, we had the next day a pretty large one; for most
of the town were at it. There had never been a meeting here
before, nor any within a great way of it; but this was a very
precious one, many of the people were tender, and confessed
to the truth; and some received it; blessed be the Lord for ever!
178On the the 16th of the 7th month we set forward again,
and travelled, as near as we could compute, about fifty miles,
through woods and over bogs, heading Bohemia and Sassafras
Rivers. At night we made a fire in the woods, and
lay there all night; and it being rainy weather, we got under
some thick trees for shelter, and afterwards dried ourselves
again by the fire. Next day we waded through Chester
River, a very broad water, and after passing through many
bad bogs, lay that night also in the woods by a fire; not
having gone above thirty miles that day. The day following
we travelled hard; and though we had some troublesome
bogs in our way, we rode about fifty miles; and got safe
that night, but very weary, to Robert Harwood’s, at Miles
(now “St.” Michael’s) River in Maryland. This was
the eighteenth of the month; and though we were very
weary, and much dirtied with getting through the bogs in
our journey, yet hearing of a meeting next day, we went to
it, and then to John Edmundson’s; from whence we went
three or four miles by water to a meeting the First-day
following. Here was a judge’s wife, who had never been at
any of our meetings before; who was reached, and said after,
“she had rather hear us once, than the priest a thousand
times.” Many others also were very well satisfied; for the
power of the Lord was eminently with us; blessed for ever
be his holy name!
We passed thence about twenty-two miles, and had a
meeting upon the Kentish shore, to which one of the judges
came; and a good meeting it was. Then, after another
meeting hard by, at Henry Wilcock’s house, where also we
had good service for the Lord, we went by water about
twenty miles to a very large meeting, where were some
hundreds of people, four justices of the peace, the high-sheriff
of Delaware, an Indian emperor or governor, and two
chiefs. With these Indians I had a good opportunity the
night before. I spoke to them by an interpreter; they heard
the truth attentively, and were very loving. A blessed
179meeting this was, and of great service, both for convincing
and establishing in the truth them that were convinced of it.
Blessed be the Lord, who causeth his blessed truth to spread!
After the meeting a woman came to me, whose husband
was one of the judges of that part of the country, and a
member of the assembly, and told me, “her husband was
sick, not likely to live; and desired me to go home with her
to see him.” It was three miles to her house; and being
just come hot out of the meeting, it was hard for me then to
go; yet considering the service, I got a horse, went with
her, visited her husband, and spoke what the Lord gave me
to him. The man was much refreshed, and finally was
raised up by the power of the Lord; and he afterwards
came to our meetings.
I went back again to the Friends that night; and next
day we departed thence about twenty miles to Tredhaven-Creek,
to John Edmundson’s again; whence, on the 3rd of
the 8th month, we went to the general meeting for all Maryland
Friends. This held five days; the first three, we had
meetings for public worship, to which people of all sorts
came; the other two were spent in the men’s and women’s
meetings. To the public meetings came many Protestants
of divers sorts, and some Papists; amongst these were
several magistrates and their wives, and other persons of
chief account in the country. There were so many, besides
Friends, that it was thought there were sometimes a thousand
people at one of these meetings. So that, though they
had not long before enlarged their meeting-place, and made
it as large again as it was before, it could not contain the
people. I went by boat every day four or five miles to it,
and there were so many boats at that time passing upon the
river, that it was almost like the Thames. The people said,
“there were never so many boats seen there together before.”
And one of the justices said, “he never saw so many people
together in that country before.” It was a very heavenly
meeting, wherein the presence of the Lord was gloriously
180manifested, and Friends were sweetly refreshed, the people
generally satisfied, and many convinced; for the blessed
power of the Lord was over all; everlasting praises to his
holy name for ever! After the public meetings were over,
the men’s and women’s meetings began, and were held the
other two days; for I had something to impart to them
which concerned the glory of God, the order of the
gospel, and the government of Christ Jesus. When
these meetings were over, we took our leave of Friends
in those parts, whom we left well established in the
truth.
On the 10th of the 8th Month we went thence about
thirty miles by water, passing by Cranes Island, Swan
Island, and Kent Island, in very foul weather and much
rain; whereby (our boat being open) we were not only very
much wet, but in great danger of being overset; insomuch
that some thought we could not escape being cast away, till
they saw us come to shore next morning. But blessed be
God, we were very well. Having got to a little house, dried
our clothes by the fire, and refreshed ourselves a little, we
took to our boat again; and put off from land, sometimes
sailing and sometimes rowing; but having very foul weather
that day too, we could not get above twelve miles forward.
At night we got to land, and made a fire; some lay by that,
and some by a fire at a house a little way off. Next morning
we passed over the Great-Bay, and sailed about forty
miles that day. Making to shore at night, we lay there,
some in the boat, and some at an ale-house. Next morning,
being First-day, we went six or seven miles to a Friend’s
house, who was a justice of the peace; where we had a
meeting: this was a little above the head of the Great-Bay.
We were almost four days on the water, weary with rowing,
yet all was very well: blessed and praised be the Lord.
We went next day to another Friend’s house, near the head
of Hatton’s Island, where we had good service amongst
Friends and others; as we had also the day following at
181George Wilson’s,[30] a Friend that lived about three miles further;
where we had a very precious meeting, there being
great tenderness amongst the people.
After this meeting we sailed about ten miles to James
Frizby’s, a justice of the peace, where, on the 16th, we had
a very large meeting, at which, besides Friends, were some
hundreds of people it was supposed; amongst whom were
several justices, captains, and the sheriff, with other persons
of note. A blessed, heavenly meeting this was; a powerful,
thundering testimony for the truth was borne therein; a
great sense there was upon the people, and much brokenness
and tenderness amongst them. We stayed after meeting
till about eleven at night, that the tide turned for us; then
taking boat, we passed that night and next day about fifty
182miles, to another Friend’s house. The two next days we
made short journeys, visiting Friends, and on the twentieth
we had a great meeting at a place called Severn, where
there was a meeting-house, but not large enough to hold the
people. Divers chief magistrates were at it, and many other
considerable people, and it gave them generally great satisfaction.
Two days after, we had a meeting with some that walked
disorderly, and had good service. Then spending a day or
two in visiting Friends, we passed to the Western-Shore;
and on the twenty-fifth had a large and precious meeting at
William Coale’s,[31] where the speaker of their assembly, his
wife, a justice, and several other people of quality were present.
Next day we had a meeting six or seven miles further,
at Abraham Birkhead’s, where many of the magistrates and
upper sort of people were, and the speaker of the assembly
183for that country was convinced: a blessed meeting it was,
praised be the Lord!
We travelled next day; and the day following, the 28th,
had a large and very precious meeting at Peter Sharp’s, on
the Cliffs, between thirty and forty miles distant from the
former. Many of the magistrates and people of upper rank
were at this meeting, and a heavenly meeting it was. The
wife of one of the governor’s council was convinced, and her
husband was very loving to Friends. A justice from Virginia
was convinced, and had a meeting afterwards at his house.
Some Papists were at this meeting, and one of them
threatened before he came, that he would dispute with me;
but he was reached, and could not oppose. Blessed be the
Lord, the truth reached into the hearts of people beyond
words, and it is of a good savour amongst them! After the
meeting we went about eighteen miles, to James Preston’s, a
Friend that lived on Patuxent river; and thither came to us
an Indian king, with his brother, to whom I spoke, and found
they understood what I spoke of. Having finished our service
in Maryland, and intending for Virginia, we had a
meeting at Patuxent on the 4th of the 9th month, to take
our leave of Friends. Many people of all sorts were at it,
and a powerful meeting it was.
On the 5th we set sail for Virginia, and in three days
came to a place called Nancemond, about two hundred
miles from Maryland. In this voyage we met with foul
weather, storms, and rain, and lay in the woods by a fire in
the night. At Nancemond lived a Friend, called the widow
Wright. Next day we had a great meeting there, of Friends
and others. There came to it Colonel Dewes, with several
other officers and magistrates, who were much taken with
the truth declared. After this we hastened towards Carolina;
yet had several meetings by the way, wherein we had good
service for the Lord; one about four miles from Nancemond
Water, which was very precious; and there was a men’s and
women’s meeting settled, for taking care of the affairs of the
184church. Another very good one also we had at William
Yarrow’s, at Pagan Creek, which was so large, that we were
fain to be abroad, the house not being large enough to contain
the people. A great openness there was, the sound of
truth spread abroad, and had a good savour in the hearts of
people: the Lord have the glory for ever!
After this our way to Carolina grew worse, being much
of it plashy, and pretty full of great bogs and swamps; so
that we were commonly wet to the knees, and lay abroad at
nights in the woods by a fire; saving one night we got to a
poor house, at Sommertown [now Somerton,] and lay by
the fire. The woman of the house had a sense of God upon
her. The report of our travel had reached thither, and drawn
some that lived beyond Sommertown, to that house, in expectation
to see and hear us (so acceptable was the sound of
truth in that wilderness country:) but they missed us. The
next day, the 21st of the 9th Month, having travelled hard
through the woods, and over many bogs and swamps, we
reached Bonner’s Creek; and there we lay that night by
the fireside, the woman lending us a mat to lie on.
This was the first house we came to in Carolina; here
we left our horses, over-wearied with travel. From hence
we went down the creek in a canoe, to Macocomocock [now
Chowan] River; and came to Hugh Smith’s house, where
the people came to see us (for there were no Friends in that
part of the country,) and many of them received us gladly.
Amongst others came Nathaniel Batts, who had been governor
of Roanoke; he went by the name of Captain Batts, and had
been a rude, desperate man. He asked me about a woman
in Cumberland, who, he said, he was told, had been healed
by our prayers, and laying on of our hands, after she had
been long sick, and given over by the physicians; and he
desired to know the certainty of it. I told him we did not
glory in such things, but many such things had been done
by the power of Christ.
Not far from hence we had a meeting among the people,
185and they were taken with the truth: blessed be the Lord!
Then passing down the river Roanoke in a canoe, we went
down the bay Coney-Hoe, and came to a captain’s house,
who was very loving, and lent us his boat, for we were much
wet in the canoe, the water splashing in upon us. With this
boat we went to the governor’s house; but the water in
some places was so shallow that the boat being laden, could
not swim; so that we were fain to put off our shoes and
stockings, and wade through the water some distance. The
governor, with his wife, received us lovingly; but a doctor
there would needs dispute with us. And truly his opposing
us was of good service, giving occasion for the opening of
many things to the people, concerning the light and Spirit
of God, which he denied to be in every one; and affirmed
that it was not in the Indians. Whereupon I called an
Indian to us, and asked him, “Whether or not, when he lied,
or did wrong to any one, there was not something in him
that reproved him for it?” he said, “There was such a thing
in him, that did so reprove him; and he was ashamed when
he had done wrong, or spoken wrong.” So we shamed the
doctor before the governor and the people; insomuch that
the poor man ran out so far, that at length he would not own
the Scriptures. We tarried at the governor’s that night; and
next morning he very courteously walked with us himself
about two miles through the woods, to a place whither he
had sent our boat about to meet us. Taking leave of him,
we entered our boat, and went that day about thirty miles
to Joseph Scott’s, one of the representatives of the country.
There we had a sound, precious meeting; the people were
tender, and much desired after meetings. Wherefore at a
house about four miles further, we had another meeting, to
which the governor’s secretary came, who was chief secretary
of the province, and had been formerly convinced.
I went from this place among the Indians, and spoke
unto them by an interpreter; showing them, “that God
made all things in six days, and made but one woman for
186one man; and that God drowned the old world, because of
their wickedness. Afterwards I spoke to them concerning
Christ, showing them, that he died for all men, for their
sins, as well as for others; and had enlightened them as well
as others; and that if they did that which was evil, he would
burn them, but if they did well, they should not be burned.”
There was among them their young king; and others of their
chief men, who seemed to receive kindly what I said to
them.
Having visited the north part of Carolina, and made a
little entrance for truth upon the people there, we began to
return towards Virginia, having several meetings in our way,
wherein we had very good service for the Lord, the people
being generally tender and open; blessed be the Lord. We
lay one night at the Secretary’s house, to which we had
much to do to get; for the water being shallow, we could
not bring our boat to shore; but the secretary’s wife seeing
our strait, came herself in a canoe (her husband being from
home) and brought us to land. Next morning our boat was
sunk; but we got her up, mended her, and went away in her
that day about twenty-four miles, the water being rough,
and the winds high; but the great power of God was seen,
in carrying us safe in that rotten boat. In our return we
had a very precious meeting at Hugh Smith’s; praised be
the Lord for ever! The people were very tender, and very
good service we had amongst them. There was at this
meeting an Indian captain who was very loving, and acknowledged
it to be truth that was spoken. There was also one
of the Indian priests, whom they call a Pawaw, who sat
soberly among the people. On the 9th of the 10th Month we
got back to Bonner’s Creek, where we had left our horses;
having spent about eighteen days in North Carolina.
Our horses having rested, we set forward for Virginia
again, travelling through the woods and bogs, as far as we
could well reach that day; and at night lay by a fire in the
woods. Next day we had a tedious journey, through bogs
187and swamps, and were exceedingly wet and dirty all the
day, but dried ourselves at night by a fire. We got that
night to Sommertown. When we came near the house, the
woman of the house seeing us, spoke to her son to fasten up
their dogs (for both in Virginia and Carolina they generally
keep great dogs to guard their houses, living lonely in the
woods); but the son said, “he need not, for the dogs did
not use to meddle with these people.” Whereupon, when
we were come into the house, she told us, “we were like the
children of Israel, whom the dogs did not move their
tongues against.” Here we lay in our clothes by the fire, as
we had done many a night before. Next day, before we
went away, we had a meeting; for the people having heard
of us, had a great desire to hear us; and a very good meeting
we had among them, where we never had one before;
praised be the Lord for ever! After the meeting we hasted
away. When we had rode about twenty miles, calling at a
house to inquire the way, the people desired us to tarry all
night with them, which we did. Next day we came among
Friends, after we had travelled about a hundred miles from
Carolina into Virginia; in which time we observed a great
variety of climates, having passed in a few days from a very
cold, to a warm and spring-like country. But the power of
the Lord is the same in all, is over all, and doth reach the
good in all; praised be the Lord for ever!
We spent about three weeks in travelling through
Virginia, mostly among Friends, having many large and
precious meetings in several parts of the country; as at the
widow Wright’s, where a great many magistrates, officers
and other high people came. A most heavenly meeting we
had, wherein the power of the Lord was so great, that it
struck a dread upon the assembly and chained all down, and
brought a reverence upon the people’s minds. Among the
officers was a major, kinsman to the priest; he told me,
“the priest threatened to come and oppose us.” But the
Lord’s power was too strong for him, and stopped him; we
188were quiet and peaceable, and the people were wonderfully
affected with the testimony of truth; blessed be the Lord
for ever! Another very good meeting we had at Crickatrough,
at which many considerable people were, many of
whom had never heard a Friend before; and they were
greatly satisfied with the meeting, praised be the Lord! We
had also a very good and serviceable meeting at John
Porter’s, which consisted mostly of other people; in which
the power of the Lord was gloriously seen and felt, and it
brought the truth over all evil walkers and talkers; blessed
be the Lord! Divers other meetings we had, and many
opportunities of doing service for the Lord amongst the
people where we came. The last week we stayed, we spent
some time and pains among Friends, sweeping away that
which was to be swept out, and working down a bad spirit
that was got up in some; blessed for ever be the name of
the Lord! he it is that gives victory over all.
Having finished what service lay upon us in Virginia,
on the 30th we set sail in an open sloop for Maryland.
But having a great storm, and being much wet, we were
glad to get to shore before night; and, walking to a house
at Willoughby Point, we got lodging there that night.
The woman of the house was a widow, and a very tender
person; she had never received Friends before; but she
received us very kindly, and with tears in her eyes. We returned
to our boat in the morning, and hoisted up our sail,
getting forward as fast as we could; but towards evening a
storm rising, we had much to do to get to shore; and our
boat being open the water splashed often in, and sometimes
over us, so that we were completely wet. Being got to land,
we made a fire in the woods, to warm and dry us, and there
we lay all night, the wolves howling about us.
On the 1st of 11th month we sailed again, but the wind
being against us, we made but little way, and were fain to
get to shore at Point Comfort, where yet we found but
small comfort; for the weather was so cold, that though we
189made a good fire in the woods to lie by, our water, that we
had got for our use, was frozen near the fireside. We made
to sea again next day; but the wind being strong and
against us, we advanced but little, but were glad to get to
land again, and travel about to find some house, where we
might buy some provisions, for our store was spent. That
night also we lay in the woods; and so extremely cold was
the weather, the wind blowing high, and the frost and snow
being great, that it was hard for some to abide it.
On the 3rd, the wind setting pretty fair, we fetched it
up by sailing and rowing, and got that night to Milford-Haven,
where we lay at Richard Long’s, near Quince’s
Island. Next day we passed by Rappahannock River, where
dwell much people; and Friends had a meeting there-aways
at a justice’s house, who had formerly been at a meeting
where I was. We passed over Potomac River also, the winds
being high, the water very rough, our sloop open, and the
weather extremely cold; and having a meeting there-aways
also, some people were convinced; and when we parted
thence, some of our company went amongst them. We
steered our course for Patuxent River. I sat at the helm
most part of the day, and some of the night. About the
first hour in the morning we reached James Preston’s
house on Patuxent River, which is about two hundred
miles from Nancemond in Virginia. We were very
weary; yet the next day, being the first of the week,
we went to the meeting not far from thence. The same
week we went to an Indian King’s cabin, where several of
the Indians were, with whom we had a good opportunity to
discourse; and they carried themselves very lovingly. We
went also that week to a general meeting; then about
eighteen miles further to John Geary’s, where we had a very
precious meeting; praised be the Lord God for ever!
After this the cold grew so exceedingly sharp, the frost
and snow so extreme, beyond what was usual in that
country, that we could hardly endure it. Neither was it
190easy or safe to stir out; yet we got, with some difficulty, six
miles through the snow to John Mayor’s, where we met with
some Friends come from New England, whom we had left
there when we came away; and glad we were to see each
other, after so long and tedious travels. By these Friends
we understood, that William Edmundson, having been at
Rhode Island and New England, was returned to Ireland;
that Solomon Eccles, coming from Jamaica and landing at
Boston in New England, was taken at a meeting there, and
banished to Barbadoes; that John Stubbs and another
Friend were gone into New Jersey, and several other Friends
to Barbadoes, Jamaica, and the Leeward Islands. It was
matter of joy to us, to understand that the work of the Lord
went on and prospered, and that Friends were unwearied
and diligent in the service.
On the 27th we had a very precious meeting in a
tobacco-house; and next day returned to James Preston’s,
about eighteen miles distant. When we came there, we
found his house was burnt to the ground the night before,
through the carelessness of a servant; so we lay three
nights on the ground by the fire, the weather being very
cold. We made an observation, which was somewhat
strange, but certainly true; that one day in the midst of this
cold weather, the wind turning into the South, it grew so
hot that we could hardly bear it; and the next day and
night, the wind changing back into the North, we could
hardly endure the cold.
The 2nd of 12th month we had a glorious meeting at
Patuxent; and after it, went to John Geary’s again, where
we waited for a boat to carry us to the monthly meeting at
the Cliffs, and a living one it was; praised be the Lord!
This was on the 6th: another meeting we had on the 9th,
wherein the glory of the Lord shone over all; blessed and
magnified be his holy name for ever!
On the 12th of the month we set forward in our boat;
and, travelling by night, ran aground in a creek near
191Manokin River. There we were fain to stay till morning,
when the tide came and lifted her off. In the meantime
sitting in an open boat, and the weather being bitterly cold,
some of us had like to have lost the use of our hands, they
were so frozen and benumbed with cold. In the morning,
when the tide had set us afloat again, we got to land, and
made a good fire, at which we warmed ourselves well.
Then returning to our boat, we passed on about ten miles
further to a Friend’s house; where next day we had a very
precious meeting, at which some of the chief of the place
were. I went after it to a Friend’s house, about four miles
off, at the head of Anamessic River, where, on the day
following, the judge of the country and the justice with him
came to me, and were very loving, and much satisfied with
Friends’ order. The next day we had a large meeting in
the justice’s barn, for his house could not hold the company.
There were several of the great folks of that country, and
among the rest an opposer; but all was preserved quiet and
well; a precious meeting it was, and the people were much
affected with the truth; blessed be the Lord! We went
next day to see Captain Colburn, who was also a justice, and
there we had some service; then returning again, we had a
very glorious meeting at the same justice’s, where we met
before; to which came many people of account in the world,
magistrates, officers, and others. It was large, and the power
of the Lord was much felt, so that the people were generally
well satisfied, and taken with the truth; and there being
several merchants and masters of ships from New England,
the truth was spread abroad; blessed be the Lord!
A day or two after, we travelled about sixteen miles
through the woods and bogs, heading Anamessic River and
Amoroca River, part of which last, we went over in a
canoe, and came to Manokin, to a friendly woman’s house;
where, on the 24th, we had a large meeting in a barn. The
Lord’s living presence was with us, and among the people;
blessed be his holy name for evermore! Friends had never
192had a meeting in those parts before. After this we passed
over the River Wicomico, through many bad and watery
swamps and marshy ways, and came to James Jones’s, a Friend,
and a justice of the peace; where we had a large and very
glorious meeting; praised be the Lord God. Then passing over
the water in a boat, we took horse and travelled about twenty-four
miles through woods and troublesome swamps, and
came to another justice’s house, where we had a very large
meeting, much people, and many of considerable account being
present; and the living presence of the Lord was amongst
us, praised for ever be his holy name! This was on the 3rd
of the 1st month, 1672-3;[32] and on the 5th we had another
living and heavenly meeting, at which divers of the justices,
with their wives, and many other people, were; amongst
whom we had very good service for the Lord; blessed
be his holy name. At this meeting was a woman that
lived at Anamessic, who had been many years in trouble of
mind, and sometimes would sit moping near two months
together, and hardly speak or mind anything. When I
heard of her, I was moved of the Lord to go to her, and tell
her, “that salvation was come to her house.” After I had
spoken the word of life to her, and entreated the Lord for
her, she mended, went up and down with us to meetings,
and is since well, blessed be the Lord!
Being now clear of these parts, we left Anamessic on
the 7th, and passing by water about fifty miles, came to a
friendly woman’s house at Hunger River. We had very
rough weather in our passage to this place, and were in
great danger, for the boat had nearly been turned over; but
through the good providence of God, we got safe thither;
praised be his name! At this place we had a meeting; and
193amongst the people present, were two Papists, a man and a
woman; he was very tender, and she confessed to the truth.
This meeting was not so large as it would have been, if
many, who had intended, could have got to it; but the
weather was so foul, and the water, by reason of high winds,
so rough, that it was not safe to pass over it. I had no
Friend now with me but Robert Widders, the rest having dispersed
themselves into several parts of the country in the
service of truth.
As soon as the wind would permit, we passed hence
about forty miles by water, rowing most part of the way,
and came to the head of Little Choptank River, to Dr.
Winsmore’s, who was a justice, lately convinced. Here we
met with some Friends, with whom we stayed a while;
and then went on by land and water, and had a large
meeting out of doors, for the house we were at could not receive
the people. Divers of the magistrates and their wives
were present, and a good meeting it was; blessed be the Lord,
who is making his name known in that wilderness country!
We returned thence to a Friend’s house, named William
Stephens, where we met the Friends that had been travelling
in other parts; and were much refreshed in the Lord together,
imparting to each other the good success we had had in the
Lord’s work, and the prosperity and spreading of truth in
the places where we travelled. John Cartwright and another
Friend had been in Virginia, where there were great desires
in people after truth; and being now returned, they stayed
a little with us here, and then set forward for Barbadoes.
Before we left this place we had a very glorious meeting, at
which were very many people; amongst others, the judge
of that country, three justices, and the high-sheriff, with
their wives. Of the Indians was one called their emperor,
an Indian king and their speaker, who all sat very attentive,
and carried themselves very lovingly. An establishing,
settling meeting it was. This was on the 23rd of 1st month.
On the 24th we went by water ten miles to the Indian
194town where this emperor dwelt, whom I had acquainted
before of my coming, and desired him to get their kings
and councils together. In the morning the emperor came
himself, and had me to the town; and they were generally
come together, and had their speaker and other officers with
them, and the old empress sat among them. They sat very
grave and sober, and were all very attentive, beyond many
called Christians. I had some with me that could interpret
to them, and we had a very good meeting with them, and
of very great service it was; for it gave them a good esteem
for truth and Friends: blessed be the Lord.
After this we had many meetings in several parts of
that country, one at William Stephens’s, which was a general
meeting once a month; others at Tredhaven Creek, Wye,
Reconow Creek, and at Thomas Taylor’s in the Island of
Kent. Most of these were large, there being many people
at them, divers of them of the most considerable account.
The Lord’s power and living presence were with us, and
plenteously manifested amongst the people; by which their
hearts were tendered and opened to receive the truth, which
had a good savour amongst them; blessed be the Lord God
over all for ever. Being clear of that side, we passed over
the bay about fourteen miles to a Friend’s house, where we
met with several Friends. I sent for Thomas Thurston
thither, and had a meeting with him, to bring the truth over
his bad actions.
Having travelled through most parts of that country and
visited most of the plantations, having sounded the alarm to
all people where we came, and proclaimed the day of God’s
salvation amongst them, we found our spirits began to be
clear of these parts of the world, and draw towards Old
England again. Yet we were desirous, and felt freedom
from the Lord, to stay over the general meeting for the
province of Maryland (which drew nigh) that we might see
Friends generally together before we departed. Wherefore
spending our time, in the interim, in visiting Friends and
195friendly people, in attending meetings about the Cliffs and
Patuxent, and in writing answers to cavilling objections,
which some of the truth’s adversaries had raised and spread
abroad, to hinder people from receiving the truth, we were
not idle, but laboured in the work of the Lord, until that
general provincial meeting came on, which began on the
17th of the 3rd month, and lasted four days. On the first of
these, the men and women had their meetings for business,
wherein the affairs of the church were taken care of, and
many things relating thereto were opened unto them, to
their edification and comfort. The other three days were
spent in public meetings for the worship of God, of which
divers of considerable account of the government, and many
others, were present, who were generally satisfied, and many
of them reached; for it was a wonderful, glorious meeting,
and the mighty presence of the Lord was seen and felt over
all; blessed and praised be his holy name for ever, who
over all giveth dominion!
After this meeting we took our leave of Friends, parting
in great tenderness, in the sense of the heavenly life and
virtuous power of the Lord, that was livingly felt amongst
us; and went by water to the place where we were to take
shipping, many Friends accompanying us thither and tarrying
with us that night. Next day, the 21st of the 3rd month,
1673, we set sail for England; the same day Richard Covell
came on board our ship, having had his own taken from him
by the Dutch. We had foul weather and contrary winds,
which caused us to cast anchor often, so that we were till
the 31st ere we could get past the capes of Virginia and come
out into the main sea. But after this we made good speed,
and on the 28th of the 4th month cast anchor at King’s Road,
which is the harbour for Bristol. We had on our passage very
high winds and tempestuous weather, which made the sea
exceedingly rough, the waves rising like mountains; so that
the masters and sailors wondered at it, and said they never
saw the like before. But though the wind was strong, it set
196for the most part with us, so that we sailed before it; and
the great God who commands the winds, who is Lord of
heaven, of earth, and the seas, and whose wonders are seen
in the deep, steered our course and preserved us from many
imminent dangers. The same good hand of Providence that
went with us, and carried us safely over, watched over us in
our return, and brought us safely back again; thanksgiving
and praises be to his holy name for ever! Many sweet and
precious meetings we had on board the ship during this
voyage (commonly two a week,) wherein the blessed presence
of the Lord did greatly refresh us, and often break in upon
and tender the company.
CHAPTER VI.
197
1673-1675.—George Fox writes to his wife from Bristol—has a glorious
powerful meeting there, in which he declares of three estates and
three teachers—at Slaughterford meets with much opposition to the
settlement of women’s meetings—the chief opposer struck by the
Lord’s power, condemns his error—at Armscott is arrested by Justice
Parker, and sent to Worcester jail with Thomas Lower—writes to
his wife—he and T. Lower write to Lord Windsor and other
magistrates, with a statement of their case—they are examined at
the sessions, but George Fox is ensnared with the oath, and re-committed
for refusing to take it—Thomas Lower is discharged, and
afterwards visits Justice Parker, and gives the priest of the parish
(who instigated their imprisonment) a severe rebuke in his presence,
though unknown—George Fox disputes with Dr. Crowder on swearing—he
is removed to London by Habeas Corpus—but ultimately
remanded to Worcester—is examined at the assizes by Judge
Turner, but the case is referred to the sessions—disputes with a
priest on perfection—brought up at the sessions and re-committed,
but has liberty till the next sessions—is again removed by Habeas
Corpus, and tenders in court a declaration instead of the oath—attends
the Yearly Meeting in London—appears again at the sessions
of Worcester, and points out the flaws in his indictment—yet he is
brought in guilty and premunired—writes to the king respecting
the principle of Friends—is seized with illness, and his life almost
despaired of—Justice Parker writes to the jailer to relax the rigour
of his imprisonment—his wife intercedes with the king for his
release, which he is willing to grant by a pardon—this George Fox
could not accept, as it implied guilt—he is once more removed by
Habeas Corpus—the under-sheriff quarrels with him for calling
their ministers priests—he is brought before the judges, and Counsellor
Corbet starts a new plea, that the Court cannot imprison on a
premunire—the indictment is quashed for error, and he is freed
by proclamation after nearly fourteen months’ imprisonment—he
writes many papers and pamphlets in Worcester jail.
When we came into Bristol Harbour, there lay a man-of-war,
and the press-master[33] came on board us to press our
men. We had a meeting at that time in the ship with the
seamen before we went to shore, and the press-master sat
down with us and stayed the meeting, and was very well
198satisfied with it. I spoke to him to leave two of the men he
had pressed in our ship (for he had pressed four), one of
whom was a lame man; and he said, “at my request, he
would.”
We went on shore that afternoon, and got to Shirehampton,
where we obtained horses, and rode to Bristol
that night, where Friends received us with great joy. In the
evening I wrote a letter to my wife, to give her notice of my
landing; as follows:—
“Dear Heart,
“This day we came into Bristol near night, from the
sea; glory to the Lord God over all for ever, who was our
convoy, and steered our course! the God of the whole earth,
of the seas and winds, who made the clouds his chariot, beyond
all words, blessed be his name for ever! He is over
all in his great power and wisdom, Amen. Robert Widders
and James Lancaster[34] are with me, and we are well; glory
to the Lord for ever, who hath carried us through many
perils, perils by water, and in storms, perils by pirates and
robbers, perils in the wilderness and amongst false professors!
praises to him whose glory is over all for ever, Amen! Therefore
mind the fresh life, and live all to God in it. I intend
(if the Lord will) to stay a while this away; it may be till
the fair. So no more, but my love to all Friends.”
G.F.
Bristol, 28th of 4th Month, 1673.
Between this and the fair, my wife came out of the
North to Bristol to me, and her son-in-law Thomas Lower
with two of her daughters[35] came with her. Her other
199son-in-law John Rous, W. Penn and his wife, and Gerrard
Roberts, came from London, and many Friends from several
parts of the nation, to the fair; and glorious, powerful meetings
we had at that time, for the Lord’s infinite power and
life was over all. In the fresh openings whereof, I was
moved to declare of “Three estates, and three teachers,”
viz.: “God was the first teacher of man and woman in Paradise;
and as long as they kept to and under his teaching,
they kept in the image of God, in his likeness, in righteousness
and holiness, and in dominion over all that he had made;
in the blessed state, in the paradise of God. But when they
hearkened to the serpent’s false teaching (who was out of
truth,) disobeyed God and obeyed the serpent, in feeding
upon that which God forbade them, they lost the image of
God, the righteousness and holiness, came under the power
of Satan, and were turned out of Paradise, out of the blessed
into the cursed state. Then the promise of God was, ‘that
the Seed of the woman should bruise the serpent’s head,’
break his power that man and woman were under, and destroy
his works. So here were three states and three teachers.”teachers.”
God was the first teacher in Paradise; and whilst man
kept under his teaching, he was happy. The serpent was the
second teacher; and when man followed his teaching, he fell
into misery, into the fall from the image of God, from
righteousness and holiness, and from the power that he had
over all that God had made; and came under the serpent,
whom he had power over before. Christ Jesus was the third
teacher; of whom God saith, ‘This is my beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased, hear ye him;’ and who himself
saith, ‘Learn of me.’ This is the true gospel-teacher, who
bruises the head of the serpent, the false teacher, and the
head of all false teachers, and of all false religions, false
ways, false worships, and false churches. Now Christ, who
said, ‘Learn of me,’ and of whom the Father said, ‘Hear ye
him,’ said, ‘I am the Way to God, I am the Truth, I am the
Life, and the true Light.’ So as man and woman come again
200to God, and are renewed up into his image, righteousness, and
holiness by Christ, thereby they come into the Paradise of
God, the state which man was in before he fell; and into a
higher state than that, to sit down in Christ that never fell.
Therefore the Son of God is to be heard in all things, who is
the Saviour and Redeemer; who laid down his life, and
bought his sheep with his precious blood.
We can challenge all the world. Who hath anything to
say against our way? our Saviour? our Redeemer? our Prophet,
whom God hath raised up that we may hear, and whom
we must hear in all things? Who hath anything against
our Shepherd, Christ Jesus, who leads and feeds us, and we
know his heavenly voice? Who hath anything against our
Bishop, in whose mouth was never guile found, who doth
oversee us in his pasture of life, that we do not go astray
from God, and out of his fold? Who hath anything against
our Priest, Christ Jesus, made higher than the heavens, who
gives us freely, and commands us to give freely? Who hath
anything to say against our Leader and Counsellor, Christ
Jesus, who never sinned; but is holy, harmless, and separate
from sinners? God hath commanded us to hear Him; and
He saith, ‘Learn of me;’ and if we should disobey God’s and
Christ’s command, we should be like our father Adam and
mother Eve, who disobeyed God’s command, and hearkened
to the serpent’s teaching.
Man commands, and would force us to hear the hirelings,
who plead for sin and the body of death to the grave;
which doctrine savours of the devil’s teaching, not of Christ’s;
but we resolve to hear the Son, as both he and the Father
command, and in hearing the Son we hear the Father also, as
the Scripture testifies. For the author to the Hebrews says,
‘God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake in
time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these
last days spoken unto us by his Son;’ mark that, God hath
spoken unto us (his apostles, disciples, church), by his Son.
And whereas some have objected, that although Christ did
201speak both to his disciples and to the Jews, in the days of
his flesh, yet since his resurrection and ascension he doth
not speak now:—the answer is, that ‘as God did then speak
by his Son in the days of his flesh, so the Son, Christ Jesus,
doth now speak by his Spirit.’ Wherefore John saith in the
Revelations, ‘He that hath an ear let him hear, what the
Spirit saith to the churches,’ Rev. ii. And Christ is said to
‘speak from heaven,’ Heb. xii. 25. ‘See that ye refuse not
him that speaketh; for if they escaped not who refused him
that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we
turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven.’ They
that resisted Moses’ law, who spake on earth, died for it without
mercy, which was a natural death; but they that refuse
Him that speaks from heaven, neglect and slight their own
salvation, and so die a spiritual death through unbelief and
hardness of heart. Therefore was the exhortation given of
old, ‘To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts,
as in the provocation,’ &c. Heb. iii. 15, &c. So that they who
neglect or refuse to hear the voice of Christ, now speaking
from heaven in this his gospel-day, harden their hearts.
“Let all therefore mark well these three estates and
teachers; the God of Truth was the first teacher, while man
was in Paradise and in innocency. The serpent was the
second teacher, the false teacher, who by his false teaching
came to be the god of the world, which lies in wickedness.
Christ Jesus, that bruises the serpent’s head, is the third
teacher, who saith, ‘Learn of me,’ and of whom God saith,
‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear
ye him;’ and of whom the testimony of the saints of old
was, ‘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
202meetings by the Eternal Spirit, which searcheth and revealeth
the deep things of God.
After I had finished my service for the Lord in that city,
I departed thence into Gloucestershire, where we had
many large and precious meetings; and the Lord’s everlasting
power flowed over all. From Gloucestershire I passed
into Wiltshire, where also we had many blessed meetings.
At Slaughterford, in Wiltshire, we had a very good
meeting, though we met there with much opposition from
some who had set themselves against Women’s Meetings;
which I was moved of the Lord to recommend to Friends,
for the benefit and advantage of the Church of Christ.
“That faithful women, who were called to the belief of the
truth, being made partakers of the same precious faith, and
heirs of the same everlasting gospel of life and salvation that
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 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 better taken care of, the younger 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 proposing marriage more closely
and strictly inquired 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, “that he did wilfully
oppose (although I often warned him to take heed,) until the
203fire 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 at the meeting at
Slaughterford, yet a very good and serviceable one it was; for
occasion was thereby administered to answer their objections
and cavils, and to open the services of women in and for the
church. At this the women’s meetings, for that county, were
established in the blessed power of God.
After this I went to Marlborough and had a meeting
there, to which some of the magistrates came, and were civil
and moderate. Then passing to Bartholomew Maylin’s, I
had a very precious meeting there; and then went a little
beyond Oare, where we had a blessed meeting, and very
large, as we had also soon after upon the border of Hampshire.
Then turning into Oxfordshire, we visited Friends
there; and then went to Reading, where we had a large
meeting. Thence passing into Buckinghamshire, we had
many precious meetings in that county. After which we
visited Friends till we came to 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
the Baptists and Socinians, with some old apostates, grown
very rude, having printed many books against us; so that I
had a great travail in the Lord’s power, before I could get
clear of that city. But blessed be the Lord, his power came
over them, and all their lying, wicked, scandalous books
were answered.
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 to London.
After some service there among Friends, I went to Kingston,
and thence to Stephen Smith’s in Surrey, where was a very
large meeting, many hundreds of people attending it. I
stayed in those parts till I had cleared myself of the service
the Lord had given me to do there, and then returned by
204Kingston to London, whither I felt my spirit drawn;
having heard that many Friends were taken before the
magistrates, and divers imprisoned in London and other
towns, for opening their shop-windows on holidays 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’ holidays in the apostles’ times, neither could we observe
the Heathens’ and Papists’ holidays (so called) which
have been set up amongst those 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.
After I had stayed 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, and
thence to William Penn’s at Rickmansworth, in Hertfordshire,
whither Thomas Lower (who married another
of my wife’s daughters) came 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 thence to Bray Doily’s at Adderbury, in Oxfordshire,
where, on First-day, we had a large and precious meeting.
Truth being well spread, and Friends in those parts much
increased in number, two or three new meetings were
then set up.
At night, as I was sitting at supper, I felt I was taken;
yet I said nothing then to any one of it. But getting out
next morning, we travelled into Worcestershire, and went
to John Halford’s, at Armscott, where we had a very large
and precious meeting in his barn, the Lord’s powerful
presence being eminently with and amongst us. After the
meeting, Friends being most of them gone, as I was sitting
in the parlour, discoursing with some Friends, Henry Parker,
205a justice, came to the house, and with him one Rowland
Hains, a priest of Hunnington, in Warwickshire. This
justice heard of the meeting by means of a woman Friend,
who being nurse to a child of his, asked leave of her mistress
to go to the meeting to see me; and she, speaking of it to
her husband, he and the priest plotted together to come and
break it up and apprehend me. But from their sitting long
at dinner, it being the day on which his child was sprinkled,
they did not come till the meeting was over, and Friends
mostly gone. But though there was no meeting when they
came, yet I being in the house, who was the person they
aimed at, Henry Parker took me, and Thomas Lower for
company with me; and though he had nothing to lay to
our charge, sent us both to Worcester jail, by a strange sort
of mittimus; a copy of which here follows:—
“To the constables of Tredington, in the said county of Worcester,
and to all constables and tithing-men of the
several townships and villages within the said parish of
Tredington, and to the keeper of the jail for the county
of Worcester.
“Complaint being made to me, being one of His
Majesty’s justices of the peace for the said county of
Worcester, that within the said parish of Tredington in the
same county, there has of late been several meetings of
divers persons, to the number of four hundred persons and
upwards at a time, upon pretence of exercise of religion,
otherwise than what is established by the laws of England.
And many of the said persons, some of them were teachers,
and came from the North, and others from the remote parts
of the kingdom; which tends to the prejudice of the reformed
and established religion, and may prove prejudicial
to the public peace. And it appearing to me that there was,
this present day, such a meeting as aforesaid, to the number
of two hundred or thereabouts, at Armscott, in the said parish
of Tredington, and that George Fox of London, and Thomas
Lower of the parish of Creed, in the county of Cornwall,
were present at the said meeting, and the said George Fox
was teacher or speaker of the said meeting; and no satisfactory
account of their settlement or place of habitation appearing
to me, and forasmuch as the said George Fox and
Thomas Lower refused to give sureties to appear at the next
206sessions of the peace to be holden for the said county, to
answer the breach of the common laws of England, and what
other matters should be objected against them; these are,
therefore, in His Majesty’s name, to will and require you, or
either of you, forthwith to convey the bodies of the said
George Fox and Thomas Lower to the county jail of
Worcester aforesaid, and there safely to be kept, until they
shall be from thence delivered by due course of law; for
which this shall be your sufficient warrant in that behalf.
Dated the 17th day of December, in the 25th year of His
Majesty’s reign over England, &c.”
Henry Parker.
Being thus made prisoners, without any probable appearance
of being released before the quarter sessions at
soonest, we got some Friends to accompany my wife and
her daughter into the North, and we were conveyed to
Worcester jail. From whence, by that time I thought
my wife could be got home, I wrote her the following
letter:—
“Dear Heart,
“Thou seemedst to be a little grieved when I was
speaking of prisons, and when I was taken; be content
with the will of the Lord God. For when I was at John
Rous’s at Kingston, I had a sight of my being taken
prisoner, and when I was at Bray Doily’s in Oxfordshire, as
I sat at supper, I saw I was taken; and I saw I had a suffering
to undergo. But the Lord’s power is over all; blessed
be his holy name for ever!”
G. F.
When we had been some time in the jail, we thought
fit to lay our case before the Lord Windsor, who was lord-lieutenant
of Worcestershire, and before the deputy-lieutenants
and other magistrates: which we did by the following
letter:—
“These are to inform you, the lord-lieutenant (so
called,) and the deputy-lieutenants, and the justices of the
county of Worcestershire, how unchristianly and inhumanly
we have been dealt withal by Henry Parker, a justice (so
called,) in our journey towards the North. We coming to
our Friend, John Halford’s house, on the 17th of the 10th
month, 1673, and some Friends bringing us on the way, and
others coming to visit us there, towards night there came the
aforesaid justice, and a priest, called Rowland Hains, of
Hunnington, in Warwickshire, and demanded our names and
207places of abode. And though we were not in any meeting,
but were discoursing together when they came in, yet he
made a mittimus to send us to Worcester jail.
“Now, whereas he says in his mittimus, ‘that complaint
had been made to him of several by-past meetings of many
hundreds at a time,’ we know nothing of that, nor do we
think that concerns us. And whereas he says further, ‘that
no satisfactory account of our settlement, or place of habitation
appeared unto him.’ This he contradicts in his own
mittimus, mentioning therein the places of our abode and
habitation, the account of which we satisfactorily and fully
gave him. And one of us (Thomas Lower) told him, that
he was going down with his mother-in-law (who is George
Fox’s wife,) and with his sister, to fetch up his own wife
and child out of the North into his own country. And the
other of us (George Fox) told him, that he was bringing
forward his wife on her journey towards the North (who
had been at London, to visit one of her daughters that had
lately lain in.) And having received a message from his
mother, an ancient woman in Leicestershire, that she
earnestly desired to see him before she died, he intended, as
soon as he had brought his wife on her journey as far as
Cossall, in Warwickshire, to turn into Leicestershire, to visit
his mother and relations there, and then to return to London
again. But by his interrupting us on our journey, taking
the husband from his wife, and the son from his mother and
sister, and stopping him from visiting his wife and child so
remote, we were forced to get strangers, or whom we could,
to help them on their journey, to our great damage and their
hinderance. We asked the priest, ‘whether this was his
gospel, and their way of entertaining strangers?’ And we
desired the justice to consider, ‘whether this was doing as
he would be done by?’ But he said, ‘he had said it, and he
would do it.’ And whereas he says, ‘we refused to give
sureties;’ he asked only George Fox for sureties; who replied,
‘he was an innocent man, and knew no law he had
broken;’ but he did not ask Thomas Lower for any, as if it
had been crime and cause enough for his commitment, that
he came out of Cornwall. If we were at a meeting, as he
says in his mittimus, he might have proceeded otherwise
than by sending us to jail, to answer the breach of the
common laws; though he showed us no breach of any; as
may be seen in the mittimus. We thought fit to lay before
you the substance of his proceedings against us, hoping
there will more moderation and justice appear in you
towards us, that we may prosecute our intended journey.”
George Fox.
Thomas Lower.
208But no enlargement did we receive by our application to
the Lord Windsor (so called.) And although Thomas Lower
received several letters from his brother, Dr. Lower, who
was one of the king’s physicians, concerning his liberty, and
one, by his procurement, from Henry Savile, who was of the
king’s bed-chamber, to his brother, called the Lord Windsor,
to the same effect; yet seeing it related only to his enlargement,
not mine, so great was his love and regard to me that
he would not seek his own liberty singly, but kept the letter
by him unsent. So we were continued prisoners till the
next general quarter sessions; at which time divers Friends
from several places being in the town, spoke to the justices
concerning us, who answered fair and said we should be discharged.
For many of the justices seemed to dislike the
severity of Parker’s proceedings against us, and declared an
averseness to ensnare us by the tender of the oaths. Some
Friends also had spoken with Lord Windsor, who likewise
answered them fair, so that it was the general discourse that
we should be discharged. We heard also that Dr. Lower had
procured a letter from Colonel Sands at London, to some of
the justices in favour of us. Some of the justices also spoke
to some Friends to acquaint us, that they would have us
speak but little in the court, lest we should provoke any of
the bench; and they would warrant we should be discharged.
We were not called till the last day of the sessions, which
was the 21st of the 11th month, 1673. When we came in,
they were stricken with paleness in their faces, and it was
some time before anything was spoken; insomuch that a butcher
in the hall said, “What, are they afraid? Dare not the
justices speak to them?” At length, before they spoke to
us, Justice Parker made a long speech on the bench, much to
the same effect as was contained in the mittimus; often
mentioning the common laws, but not instancing any that
we had broken; adding, “that he thought it a milder course
to send us two to jail, than to put his neighbours to the loss
of two hundred pounds, which they must have suffered, had
209he put the law in execution against conventicles.” But in
this he was either very ignorant or very deceitful, for there
being no meeting when he came, or any to inform, he had no
evidence to convict us, or his neighbours by.
When Parker had ended his speechspeech, the justices spoke
to us, and began with Thomas Lower, whom they examined
as to the cause of his coming into that country; of which he
gave them a full and plain account. Sometimes I put in a
word while they were examining him, and then they told
me, “they were upon his examination, but that when it came
to my turn, I should have free liberty to speak, for they
would not hinder me; but I should have full time, and they
would not ensnare us.” When they had done with him, they
asked me an account of my travel, which I gave them, as
is mentioned before, but more largely. And whereas Justice
Parker, to aggravate the case, had made a great noise of
“there being some from London, some from the North, some
from Cornwall, and some from Bristol, at the house where I
was taken;” I told them, that “this was in a manner all but
one family, for there was none from London, but myself;
none from the North, but my wife and her daughter; none
from Cornwall, but my son-in-law, Thomas Lower; nor any
from Bristol, but one Friend, a merchant there; who met
us, as it were, providentially, to assist my wife and her
daughter in their journey homewards, when by our imprisonment
they were deprived of our company and help.” When
I had spoken, the chairman, whose name was Simpson, an
old Presbyterian, said, “Your relation or account, is very
innocent.”
Then he and Parker whispered a while together, and
after that the chairman stood up and said, “You, Mr. Fox,
are a famous man, and all this may be true which you have
said; but, that we may be the better satisfied, will you take
the oaths of allegiance and supremacy?” I told them, “they
had said they would not ensnare us; but this was a plain
snare; for they knew we could not take any oath.” However,
210they caused the oath to be read; and when they had
done, I told them, “I never took an oath in my life, but I
had always been true to the government; that I was cast
into the dungeon at Derby, and kept a prisoner six months
there, because I would not take up arms against King Charles
at Worcester fight; and for going to meetings was carried up
out of Leicestershire, and brought before Oliver Cromwell,
as a plotter to bring in King Charles. And ye know,” said I,
“in your own consciences, that we, the people called Quakers,
cannot take an oath, or swear in any case, because Christ
hath forbidden it. But as to the matter or substance contained
in the oaths, this I can and do say, that I do own and
acknowledge the king of England to be the lawful heir and
successor to the realm of England; and do abhor all plots
and plotters, and contrivances against him; and I have
nothing in my heart but love and good-will to him and all
men, and desire his and their prosperity; the Lord knows it,
before whom I stand, an innocent man. And as to the oath of
supremacy, I deny the Pope, and his power, and his religion,
and abhor it with my heart.” While I was speaking, they
cried, “give him the book;” and I said, “the book saith,
‘Swear not at all.’” Then they cried, “take him away,
jailer;” and I still speaking on, they were urgent upon the
jailer, crying, “take him away, we shall have a meeting here;
why do you not take him away? that fellow (meaning the
jailer) loves to hear him preach.” Then the jailer drew me
away, and as I was turning from them, I stretched out my
arm and said, “the Lord forgive you, who cast me into prison
for obeying the doctrine of Christ.” Thus they apparently
broke their promise in the face of the country; for they
promised I should have free liberty to speak, but now they
would not give it me; and they promised they would not
ensnare us, yet now they tendered me the oaths on purpose
to ensnare me.
After I was had away Thomas Lower was stayed behind
in the court, and they told him, “he was at liberty.” Then
211he would have reasoned with them, asking them, “why I
might not be set at liberty as well as he, seeing we were
both taken together, and our case was alike?” But they
told him, “they would not hear him,” saying, “you may be
gone about your business, for we have nothing more to say
to you, seeing you are discharged.” And this was all he
could get from them. Wherefore after the court was risen,
he went to speak with them at their chamber, desiring to
know, “what cause they had to detain his father, seeing
they had discharged him;” and wishing them to consider
whether this was not partiality, and would be a
blemish to them. Whereupon Simpson threatened him,
saying, “if you be not content, we will tender you the oaths
also, and send you to your father.” To which he replied,
“they might do that, if they thought fit; but whether they
sent him or not, he intended to go, and to wait upon his
father in prison, for that was now his business in that
country.” Then said Justice Parker to him, “Do you think
Mr. Lower, that I had not cause to send your father and you
to prison, when you had so great a meeting, that the parson
of the parish complained to me, that he has lost the greatest
part of his parishioners; so that when he comes among
them, he has scarcely any auditors left?” “I have heard,”
replied Thomas Lower, “that the priest of that parish comes
so seldom to visit his flock (but once, it may be, or twice in
a year, to gather up his tithes,) that it was but charity in my
father to visit so forlorn and forsaken a flock; and therefore thou
hadst no cause to send my father to prison for visiting them,
or for teaching, instructing, and directing them to Christ,
their true teacher, who had so little comfort or benefit from
their pretended pastor, who comes amongst them only to
seek for his ‘gain from his quarter.’” Upon this the justice
fell a laughing, for it seems Dr. Crowder (who was the priest
they spoke of) was then in the room, sitting among them,
though Thomas Lower did not know him; and he had the
wit to hold his tongue, and not undertake to vindicate himself
212in a matter so notoriously known to be true. But when
Thomas Lower was come from them, the justices did so play
upon Dr. Crowder, that he was pitifully ashamed, and so
nettled with it that he threatened to sue Thomas Lower in
the bishop’s court, upon an action of defamation. Which
when Thomas Lower heard, he sent him word, that he would
answer his suit, let him begin it when he would; and would
bring his whole parish in evidence against him. This cooled
the doctor. Yet some time after, he came to the prison, pretending
that he had a mind to dispute with me, and to talk
with Thomas Lower about that business; and he brought
another with him, he himself being then a prebendary at
Worcester.
When he came in, he asked me, “What I was in prison
for?” “Dost thou not know that?” said I. “Wast not
thou upon the bench when Justice Simpson and Parker
tendered the oath to me? And hadst not thou a hand in it?”
Then he said, “It is lawful to swear; and Christ did not
forbid swearing before a magistrate; but swearing by the
sun, and the like.” I bid him prove that by the Scriptures,
but he could not. Then he brought that saying of Paul’s,
“All things are lawful unto me,” 1 Cor. vi. 12. “And if,”
said he, “all things were lawful unto him, then swearing
was lawful unto him.” “By this argument,” said I, “thou
mayest also affirm, that drunkenness, adultery, and all
manner of sin and wickedness is lawful also, as well as
swearing.” “Why,” said Dr. Crowder, “do you hold that
adultery is unlawful?” “Yes,” said I, “that I do.” “Why
then,” said he, “this contradicts the saying of St. Paul.”
Thereupon I called to the prisoners and the jailer, to hear
what doctrine Dr. Crowder had laid down as orthodox, viz.,
“that drunkenness, swearing, adultery, and such like things
were lawful.” Then he said, “he would give it under his
hand;” and took a pen, but wrote another thing than that
which he had spoken. Then, turning to Thomas Lower, he
asked him, “whether he would answer what he had there
213written?” who undertook it. Whereupon, when he had
threatened Thomas Lower to sue him in the bishop’s court,
for speaking so abusively (as he called it) of him before the
justices, and Thomas had bid him begin when he pleased,
for he would answer him, and bring his parishioners in
evidence against him, he went away in a great fret, grumbling
to himself as he went. A few days after Thomas Lower sent
him an answer to the paper he had written and left with
him; which answer a Friend of Worcester carried to him;
and he read it and said, “he would reply to it;” but never
did, though he often sent him word he would do it.
Soon after the sessions, the term coming on, an habeas
corpus was sent down to Worcester for the sheriff to
bring me up to the King’s Bench bar. Whereupon, the
under-sheriff, having made Thomas Lower his deputy to convey
me to London, we set out the 29th of the 11th Month,
1673, and came to London the 2nd of the 12th; the ways
being very deep, and the waters out. Next day, notice being
given that I was brought up, the sheriff was ordered to bring
me into court. I went accordingly, and appeared before
Judge Wild; and both he and the lawyers were pretty fair,
so that I had time to speak, to clear my innocency, and show
my wrong imprisonment. After the return of the writ was
entered, I was ordered to be brought into court again next
day, the order of court being as follows:—
“Worcester.
}
Thursday, next after the morrow of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the 26th Year of King Charles the Second.
The King
against
George Fox.
“The“The defendant being brought here into court, upon a writ
of ‘habeas‘habeas corpus ad subjiciend’, &c., under the custody of
the sheriff of the county aforesaid; it is ordered, That the
Return unto the habeas corpus be filed, and the defendant is
committed unto the marshal of this court, to be safely kept
until, &c.
“By motion of Mr. G. Stroude.
“By the court.”
In the morning, I walked in the hall, till the sheriff
came to me (for he trusted me to go whither I would,) and
214it being early, we went into the court of the King’s Bench,
and sat there among the lawyers almost an hour till the
judges came in. When they came in, the sheriff took off
my hat; and after a while I was called. The Lord’s presence
was with me, and his power I felt was over all. I stood and
heard the king’s attorney, whose name was Jones, who indeed
spoke notably on my behalf, as did also another counsellor
after him; and the judges, who were three, were all very
moderate, not casting any reflecting words at me. I stood
still in the power and Spirit of the Lord, seeing how he was
at work. When they had done, I applied to the chief justice
to speak; and he said, I might. Then I related the cause
of our journey, the manner of our being taken and committed,
and the time of our imprisonment until the sessions; with a
brief account of our trial there, and what I had offered to
the justices then, as a declaration that I could make or sign,
instead of the oaths of allegiance and supremacy. When I
had done, the chief justice said, “I was to be turned over to
the King’s Bench, and the sheriff of Worcester to be discharged
of me.” He said also “they would consider
further of it; and if they found any error in the record, or
in the justice’s proceedings, I should be set at liberty.” So
a tipstaff was called to take me into custody, and he delivered
me to the keeper of the King’s Bench, who let me go to a
Friend’s house, where I lodged, and appointed to meet me
at Edward Mann’s, in Bishopsgate Street, next day.
But after this, Justice Parker, or some other of my adversaries
moved the court that I might be sent back to Worcester.
Whereupon another day was appointed for another hearing,
and they had four counsellors that pleaded against me.
George Stroude, a counsellor, pleaded for me, and was pleading
before I was brought into court; but they bore him
down, and prevailed with the judges to give judgment, that
“I should be sent down to Worcester sessions.” Only they
told me, I might put in bail to appear at the sessions, and to
be of good behaviour in the meantime. I told them, “I
215never was of ill behaviour in my life; and that they, the
four judges, might as well put the oath to me there, as send
me to Worcester to be ensnared by the justices, in their putting
the oath to me, and then premuniring me, who never
took an oath in my life.” But I told them, “if I broke my
Yea and Nay, I was content to suffer the same penalty that they
should who break their oaths.” This alteration of the judge’s
minds in my case, proceeded, as was thought, from some false
informations, that my adversary, Justice Parker, had given
against me; for between the times of my former appearance
and this, he had spread abroad a very false and malicious story,
viz., “that there were many substantial men with me, out of
several parts of the nation, when he took me; and that we
had a design or plot in hand; and that Thomas Lower stayed
with me in prison, long after he was set at liberty, to carry
on our design.” This was spoken in the parliament house,
insomuch, that if I had not been brought up to London when
I was, I should have been stopped at Worcester, and Thomas
would have been recommitted with me. But although these
lies were easily disproved, and laid open to Parker’s shame,
yet would not the judges alter their last sentence, but remanded
me to Worcester jail; only this favour was granted,
that I might go my own way, and at my own leisure; provided
I would be without fail there by the assize, which was
to begin the 2nd of the 2nd month following.
I stayed in and about London till toward the latter end
of the 1st month, 1674, and then went down leisurely (for I
was not able to bear hasty and hard travelling,) and came
into Worcester on the last day of the 1st month, 1674,
being the day before the judges came to town. On the 2nd
of the 2nd month, I was brought from the jail to an inn near
the hall, that I might be in readiness if I should be called.
But not being called that day, the jailer came to me at night,
and told me, “I might go home” (meaning to the jail.) Whereupon
Gerrard Roberts of London being with me, he and I
walked down together to the jail without any keeper. Next day
216being brought up again, they set a little boy of about eleven years
old, to be my keeper. I came to understand that Justice
Parker and the clerk of the peace had given order that I
should not be put into the calendar, that so I might not be
brought before the judge; wherefore I got the judge’s son
to move in court that “I might be called;” and thereupon I
was called, and brought up to the bar before Judge Turner,
my old adversary, who had tendered me the oaths and premunired
me once before at Lancaster.
After silence made, he asked me, “what I desired?” I
answered, “My liberty, according to justice.” He said,
“I lay upon the oath;” and asked, “if I would take it.”
I desired he would hear the manner of my being taken
and committed, and he being silent, I gave him an account
thereof at large, as is before set down, letting him also know
that “since my imprisonment I had understood that my
mother, who was an ancient, tender woman, and had desired
to see me before she died, hearing that I was stopped and imprisoned
in my journey, so that I was not likely to come to
see her, was so struck by it, that she died soon after: which
was a very hard thing to me.” When I had done speaking,
he again asked me “to take the oaths;” I told him I could
not take any oath for conscience’ sake, and that I believed he and
they all knew in their consciences, that it was for conscience’
sake I could not swear at all. I declared amongst them what
I could say, and what I could sign, in owning the king’s
right to the government, and in denying the Pope and his
pretended powers, and all plotters, plots, and conspiracies
against the government. Some thought the judge had a
mind to set me at liberty, for he saw they had nothing justly
against me; but Parker, who committed me, endeavoured to
incense him against me, telling him, “that I was a ringleader;
that many of the nation followed me, and he knew not what
it might come to;” with many more envious words, which
some that stood near took notice of: who also observed that
the judge gave him no answer to it. However, the judge,
217willing to ease himself, referred me and my case to the
sessions again, bidding the justices make an end of it there,
and not trouble the assizes any more with me. So I was
continued prisoner chiefly (as it seemed) through the means
of Justice Parker, who, in this case, was as false as envious;
for he had promised Richard Cannon, of London, who had
acquaintance with him, that he would endeavour to have me
set at liberty; yet he was the worst enemy I had in court,
as some of the court observed and reported. Other justices
were very loving, and promised that I should have the liberty
of the town, to lodge at a Friend’s house till the sessions;
which accordingly I had, and the people were very civil and
respectful to me.
Between this time and the sessions, I had some service for
the Lord, with several people that came to visit me. At one
time three nonconformist priests and two lawyers came to
discourse with me; and one of the priests undertook to prove,
“that the Scriptures are the only rule of life.” Whereupon,
after I had plunged him about his proof, I had a fit opportunity
to open unto them “the right and proper use, service,
and excellency of the Scriptures; and also to show, that the
Spirit of God, which was given to everyone to profit withal—the
grace of God, which bringeth salvation, and which hath
appeared unto all men, and teacheth them that obey it to deny
ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously,
and godly in this present world; that this, I say, is
the most fit, proper, and universal rule, which God hath given
to all mankind to rule, direct, govern, and order their lives
by.”
Another time came a Common-Prayer priest, and some
people with him. He asked me, “if I was grown up to perfection?”
I told him, “what I was, I was by the grace of
God.” He replied, “it was a modest and civil answer.”
Then he urged the words of John, “If we say that we have
no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
And he asked, “what did I say to that?” I said, with the
218same apostle, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make
Him a liar, and His word is not in us;” who came to destroy
sin, and to take away sin. So there is a time for people to
see that they have sinned, and there is a time for them to see
that they have sin; and there is a time for them to confess
their sin, and to forsake it, and to know “the blood of Christ
to cleanse from all sin.” Then the priest was asked, “whether
Adam was not perfect before he fell? and whether all God’s
works were not perfect?” The priest said, “there might be
a perfection, as Adam had, and a falling from it.” But I told
him, “there is a perfection in Christ, above Adam, and beyond
falling; and that it was the work of the ministers of
Christ, to present every man perfect in Christ; and for the
perfecting of whom they had their gifts from Christ; therefore,
they that denied perfection, denied the work of the
ministry, and the gifts which Christ gave for the perfecting
of the saints.” The priest said, “we must always be striving.”
But I told him, “it was a sad and comfortless sort of striving,
to strive with a belief that we should never overcome.” I
told him also, “that Paul, who cried out of the body of death,
did also ‘thank God, who gave him the victory, through our
Lord Jesus Christ.’ So there was a time of crying out for
want of victory, and a time of praising God for the victory.
And Paul said, ‘there is no condemnation to them that are in
Christ Jesus.’” The priest said, “Job was not perfect.” I
told him, “God said, Job was a perfect man, and that he did
shun evil: and the Devil was forced to confess that ‘God had
set a hedge about him,’ which was not an outward hedge, but
the invisible heavenly power.” The priest said, “Job said,
‘He chargeth his angels with folly, and the heavens are not
clean in his sight.’” I told him, “that was his mistake; for
it was not Job who said so, but Eliphaz, who contended
against Job.” “Well but,” said the priest, “what say you to
that Scripture, ‘The justest man that is, sinneth seven times
a day.’” “Why truly,” said I, “I say, there is no such
Scripture;” and with that the priest’s mouth was stopped.
219Many other services I had with several sorts of people between
the assizes and the sessions.
The next quarter sessions began the 29th of the 2nd
month, and I was called before the justices. The chairman’s
name was —— Street, who was a judge in the Welsh circuit;
and he misrepresented me and my case to the country, telling
them, “that we had a meeting at Tredington, from all parts
of the nation, to the terrifying of the king’s subjects, for
which we had been committed to prison: that for the trial of
my fidelity the oaths were put to me; and having had time
to consider of it, he asked me, ‘if I would now take the
oaths?’” I desired liberty to speak for myself; and having
obtained that, began first to clear myself from those falsehoods
he had charged on me and Friends, declaring “that we
had not any such meeting from all parts of the nation, as he
had represented it; but that (except the Friend from whose
house we came, and who came with us to guide us thither,
and one Friend of Bristol, who came accidentally, or rather
providentially, to assist my wife homewards after we were
taken) they that were with me were part of my own family,
being my wife, her daughter, and her son-in-law. And we did
not meet in any way that would occasion terror to any of the
king’s subjects, for we met peaceably and quietly, without
arms; and I did not believe there could any one be produced
that could truly say he was terrified with our meeting. Besides,
I told them, we were but in our journey, the occasion
whereof I now related as before. Then as to the oaths, I
showed why I could not take them (seeing Christ hath forbidden
all swearing), and what I could say or sign in lieu of
them, as I had done before.” Yet they caused the oaths to
be read to me again, and afterwards read an indictment also,
which they had drawn up in readiness, having a jury ready
also.
When the indictment was read, the judge asked me, “if
I was guilty?” I said, “Nay, for it was a great bundle of lies,
which I showed and proved to the judge in several particulars,
220which I instanced; asking him, if he did not know in
his conscience that they were lies?” He said, “it was their
form.” I said, “it was not a true form.” He asked me
again, “whether I was guilty?” I told him “nay, I was
not guilty of the matter, nor of the form; for I was against
the Pope and Popery, and did acknowledge and should set
my hand to that.” Then the judge told the jury what they
should say, and what they should do, and what they should
write on the backside of the indictment; and as he said, they
did. But before they gave in their verdict, I told them, “that
it was for Christ’s sake, and in obedience to his and the
apostle’s command, that I could not swear; and therefore,
said I, take heed what ye do, for before his judgment-seat ye
shall all be brought.” The judge said, “this is canting.” I
said, “If to confess our Lord and Saviour, and to obey his
command, be called ‘canting’ by a judge of a court, it is to
little purpose for me to say more among you: yet ye shall
see that I am a Christian, and shall show forth Christianity,
and my innocency shall be manifest.” So the jailer led me
out of the court; and the people were generally tender, as if
they had been in a meeting. Soon after I was brought in
again, and the jury found the bill against me, which I traversed;
and then I was asked to put in bail till the next sessions,
and the jailer’s son offered to be bound for me. But
I stopped him, and warned Friends not to meddle; for I told
them, “there was a snare in that:” yet I told the justices,
that I could promise to appear, if the Lord gave health and
strength, and I were at liberty. Some of the justices were
loving, and would have hindered the rest from indicting me,
or putting the oath to me; but Justice Street, who was the
chairman, said, “he must go according to law.” So I was
sent to prison again; yet within two hours after, through the
moderation of some of the justices, I had liberty given me to
go at large till next quarter-sessions. These moderate justices,
it was said, desired Justice Parker to write to the king for
my liberty, or for a Noli prosequi, because they were satisfied
221I was not such a dangerous person as I had been represented.
This, it was said, he promised them to do; but he did it not.
After I had got a copy of the indictment, I went to
London, visiting Friends as I went. When I came there,
some that were earnest to get me out of the hands of those
envious justices, that sought to premunire me at Worcester,
would needs be tampering again, to bring me before the
judges of the King’s Bench: whereupon I was brought
again by a habeas corpus before them. I tendered them a
paper, in which was contained what I could say instead of
the oaths of allegiance and supremacy, as follows:—
“This I do in the truth, and in the presence of God
declare, that King Charles the Second is lawful king of this
realm, and of all other his dominions; that he was brought
in, and set up king over this realm by the power of God:
and I have nothing but love and goodwill to him and all his
subjects, and desire his prosperity and eternal good. I do
utterly abhor and deny the Pope’s power and supremacy,
and all his superstitions and idolatrous inventions: and do
affirm, that he hath no power to absolve sin. I do abhor and
detest his murdering of princes or other people, by plots or
contrivances. And likewise I do deny all plots and contrivances,
and plotters and contrivers against the king and his
subjects; knowing them to be the works of darkness, the
fruits of an evil spirit, against the peace of the kingdom, and
not from the Spirit of God, the fruit of which is love. I dare
not take an oath, because it is forbidden by Christ and the
apostle; but if I break my Yea or Nay, let me suffer the
same penalty as they that break their oaths.”
George Fox.
But the business being so far proceeded in at Worcester,
they would not meddle in it, but left me to appear again
before the justices, at the next general quarter-sessions at
Worcester.
Meanwhile the Yearly Meeting of Friends came on,
at which (through the liberty granted me till the sessions) I
was present, and exceedingly glorious the meetings were
beyond expression; blessed be the Lord.
After the Yearly Meeting I set forward for Worcester,
the sessions drawing on, which were held in the 5th month.
222When I was called to the bar, and the indictment read, some
scruple arising among the jury concerning it, the judge of
the court, Justice Street, caused the oaths to be read and
tendered to me again. I told him, “I came now to try the
traverse of my indictment, and that his tendering me the
oaths anew, was a new snare.” I desired him to answer me
a question or two; and asked him, “whether the oaths were
to be tendered to the king’s subjects, or to the subjects of
foreign princes?” He said, “to the subjects of this realm.”
“Then,” said I, “you have not named me a subject in the
indictment, and therefore have not brought me within the
statute.” The judge cried, “Read the oath to him:” I said,
“I require justice.” Again I asked him, “Whether the sessions
ought not to have been held for the king and the body
of the county?” He said, “Yes.” “Then,” said I, “you
have there left the king out of the indictment; how then
can you proceed upon this indictment to a trial between the
king and me, seeing the king is left out?” He said, “the
king was in before.” But I told him, “the king’s name
being left out, here was a great error in the indictment, and
sufficient, as I was informed, to quash it. Besides,” I told
him, “that I was committed by the name of George Fox, of
London; but now I was indicted by the name of George
Fox, of Tredington, in the county of Worcester: and I
wished the jury to consider, how they could find me guilty
upon that indictment, seeing I was not of the place the
indictment mentioned?” The judge did not deny that there
were errors in the indictment; but said, “I might take my
remedy in the proper place.” I answered, “Ye know we are
a people that suffer all things, and bear all things; and therefore
ye thus use us, because we cannot revenge ourselves;
but we leave our cause to the Lord.” The judge said, “The
oath has been tendered to you several times, and we will
have some satisfaction from you concerning the oath.” I
offered them the same declaration instead of the oath, which I
had offered to the judges above; but it would not be accepted.
223Then I desired to know, seeing they put the oath anew
to me, whether the indictment was quashed or not? Instead
of answering me, the judge told the jury, “they might go
out.” Some of the jury were not satisfied; whereupon the
judge told them, “they had heard a man swear that the oath
was tendered to me the last sessions:” and then he told
them what they should do. I told him, “he should leave
the jury to their own consciences.” However, the jury,
being put on by him, went forth, and soon came in again,
and found me guilty. I asked the jury “how they could
satisfy themselves to find me guilty upon that indictment,
which was laid so false, and had so many errors in it?”
They could make but little answer; yet one, who seemed to
be the worst of them, would have taken me by the hand; but I
put him by, saying, “How now Judas, hast thou betrayed me,
and dost thou now come with a kiss?” So I bid him and
them repent. Then the judge began to tell me, “how favourable
the court had been to me.” I asked him, “how he
could say so? Was ever any man worse dealt by than I had
been in this case, who was stopped in my journey, when
travelling upon my lawful occasions, and imprisoned without
cause; and now had the oaths put to me only for a
snare?” And I desired him to “answer me in the presence
of the Lord, in whose presence we all were, whether this
oath was not tendered me in envy?” He would not answer
that, but said, “Would you had never come here to trouble
us and the country.” I told him, “I came not thither of
myself, but was brought, being stopped in my journey. I
did not trouble them, but they had brought trouble upon
themselves.” Then the judge told me, “what a sad sentence
he had to tell me.” I asked him, “whether what he was
going to speak was by way of passing sentence, or of information?
For,” I told him, “I had many things to say, and
more errors to assign in the indictment, besides those I had
already mentioned, to stop him from giving sentence against
me upon that indictment.” He said, “he was going to show
224me the danger of a premunire, which was the loss of my
liberty, and of all my goods and chattels, and to endure imprisonment
during life.” But he said, “he did not deliver
this as the sentence of the court upon me, but as an admonition
to me.” Then he bid the jailer take me away. I
expected to be called again to hear the sentence; but when
I was gone, the clerk of the peace (whose name was Twittey)
asked him, as I was informed, “whether that which he had
spoken to me should stand for sentence?” And he, consulting
with some of the justices, told him, “Yes, that was the
sentence, and should stand.” This was done behind my
back, to save himself from shame in the face of the country.
Many of the justices, and the generality of the people,
were moderate and civil; and John Ashley, a lawyer, was
very friendly, both the time before and now, speaking on
my behalf, and pleading the errors of the indictment for me;
but Justice Street, who was the judge of the court, would
not regard, but overruled all. This Justice Street said to
some Friends in the morning before my trial, “that if he
had been upon the bench the first sessions, he would not
have tendered me the oath; but if I had been convicted of
being at a conventicle, he would have proceeded against me
according to that law; and that he was sorry that ever I came
before him;” and yet he maliciously tendered the oath to me
in the court again, when I was to have tried my traverse
upon the indictment. But the Lord pleaded my cause, and
met with both him and Justice Simpson, who first ensnared
me with the oath at the first sessions; for Simpson’s son
was arraigned not long after, at the same bar, for murder.
And Street, who, as he came down from London, after the
judges had returned me back from the King’s Bench to Worcester,
said, “Now I was returned to them, I should lie in
prison and rot,” had his daughter, whom he so doted on that
she was called his idol, brought dead from London in a
hearse, to the same inn where he spoke those words, and
brought to Worcester to be buried within a few days after.
225People took notice of the hand of God, how sudden it was
upon him; but it rather hardened than tendered him, as his
conduct afterwards showed.
After I was returned to prison, several came to see me;
and amongst others, the Earl of Salisbury’s son, who was
very loving, and troubled that they had dealt so wickedly
by me. He stayed about two hours with me, and took a
copy of the errors in the indictment in writing.
The sessions being now over, and I fixed in prison by a
premunire, my wife came out of the North to be with me;
and the assizes coming on, in the sixth month, the state of
my case being drawn up in writing, she and Thomas Lower
delivered it to Judge Wild. In it were set forth the occasion
of my journey; the manner of my being taken and imprisoned;
the proceedings of the several sessions against me;
and the errors in the indictment by which I was premunired.
When the judge had read it, he shook his head, and said,
“we might try the validity or invalidity of the errors, if we
would;” and that was all they could get from him.
While I lay in prison, it came upon me to state our
principle to the king; not with particular relation to my
own sufferings, but for his better information concerning
our principle, and us as a people.
“To the King.
“The principle of the Quakers is the Spirit of Christ,
who died for us, and is risen for our justification; by which
we know that we are his. He dwelleth in us by his Spirit;
and by the Spirit of Christ we are led out of unrighteousness
and ungodliness. It brings us to deny all plottings and contrivings
against the king, or any man. The Spirit of Christ
brings us to deny all manner of ungodliness, as lying, theft,
murder, adultery, fornication, and all uncleanness, debauchery,
malice, hatred, deceit, cozening, and cheating whatsoever,
and the devil and his works. The Spirit of Christ brings us
to seek the peace and good of all men, and to live peaceably;
and leads us from such evil works and actions as the magistrates’
sword takes hold upon. Our desire and labour are,
that all, who profess themselves Christians, may walk in the
Spirit of Christ; that they, through the Spirit, may mortify
226the deeds of the flesh, and by the sword of the Spirit cut
down sin and evil in themselves. Then the judges and other
magistrates would not have so much work in punishing sin
in the kingdom; neither then need kings or princes fear any
of their subjects; if they all walked in the Spirit of Christ;
for the fruits of the Spirit are love, righteousness, goodness,
temperance, &c.
“If all, that profess themselves Christians, walked in the
Spirit of Christ, and by it did mortify sin and evil, it would
be a great ease to the magistrates and rulers, and would free
them from much trouble; for it would lead all “to do unto
others, as they would have others to do unto them;” and so
the royal law of liberty would be fulfilled. For if all, that
are called Christians, did walk in the Spirit of Christ, by it
to have the evil spirits and its fruits mortified and cut down
in them; then, not being led by the evil spirit, but by the
good Spirit of Christ, the fruits of the good Spirit would
appear in all. For as people are led by the good Spirit of
Christ, it leads them out of sin and evil, which the magistrates’
sword takes hold of, and so would be an ease to the magistrates.
But as people err from this good Spirit of Christ, and
follow the evil spirit, which leads them into sin and evil;
that spirit brings the magistrate into much trouble, to execute
the law upon the sinners and transgressors of the good Spirit.
That Spirit which leads people from all manner of sin and
evil, is one with the magistrates’ power, and with the righteous
law; for the law being added because of transgression,
that Spirit that leads out of transgression, must needs be one
with that law that is against transgressors. So that Spirit
which leads out of transgression, is the good Spirit of Christ,
and is one with the magistrates in the higher power, and
owns it and them; but that spirit which leads into transgression,
is the bad spirit, is against the law, against the
magistrates, and makes them much troublesome work.
“Now the manifestation of the good Spirit is given to
every man to profit withal; and no man can profit in the
things of God, but by the Spirit of God, which brings to deny
all sin and evil. It is said of Israel, Neh. ix., ‘The Lord gave
them his good Spirit to instruct them, yet they rebelled
against it.’ But if all people did mind this manifestation of
the Spirit, which God hath given to instruct them, it would
lead them to forsake all manner of sin and evil, enmity,
hatred, malice, and all manner of unrighteousness and ungodliness,
and to mortify it. And then in the Spirit of
Christ they would have fellowship and unity, which is the bond
of peace; then would love and peace, which are the fruits
of the good Spirit, flow among all that are called Christians.
227“We are a people, who, in tenderness of conscience to
the command of Christ and his apostle, cannot swear; for
we are commanded in Matt. v. and James v. to keep to Yea
and Nay, and ‘not to swear at all; neither by heaven, nor
by the earth, nor by any other oath, lest we go into evil, and
fall into condemnation.’ The words of Christ are these,
‘Ye have heard that it hath been said by (or to) them of old
time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto
the Lord thine oaths.’ These were true and solemn oaths,
which they who made, ought to have performed in old time;
but these Christ and his apostle forbid in the gospel times,
as well as false and vain oaths. If we could take any oath
at all, we could take the oath of allegiance, as knowing that
King Charles was by the power of God brought into England,
and set up king of England, &c., over the heads of our old
persecutors; and as for the Pope’s supremacy, we do utterly deny
it. But Christ and the apostle having commanded us not to
swear, but to keep to Yea and Nay, we dare not break their
commands; and therefore many have put the oaths to us, as
a snare, that they might make a prey of us. Our denying to
swear is not in wilfulness, stubbornness, or contempt, but
only in obedience to the command of Christ and his apostle,
and we are content, if we break our Yea and Nay, to suffer
the same penalty that they should who break their oaths.
We desire, therefore, that the king would take this into consideration,
and also how long we have suffered in this case.
This is from one who desires the eternal good and prosperity
of the king, and of all his subjects in the Lord Jesus Christ.”
G. F.
About this time I had a fit of sickness, which brought
me very low and weak in my body; and I continued so a
pretty while, insomuch that some Friends began to doubt of
my recovery. I seemed to myself to be amongst the graves
and dead corpses; yet the invisible power did secretly support
me, and conveyed refreshing strength into me, even
when I was so weak, that I was almost speechless. One
night, as I was lying awake upon my bed in the glory of the
Lord, which was over all, it was said unto me, “that the
Lord had a great deal more work for me to do for him,
before he took me to himself.”
Endeavours were used to get me released, at least for
a time, till I was grown stronger; but the way of effecting
it proved difficult and tedious; for the king was not willing
228to release me by any other way than a pardon, being told he
could not legally do it; and I was not willing to be released
by a pardon, which he would readily have given me, because
I did not look upon that way as agreeable with the innocency
of my cause. Edward Pitway, a Friend, having
occasion to speak with Justice Parker, upon some other business,
desired him to give order to the jailer, that, in regard
of my weakness, I might have liberty to go out of the jail
into the city. Whereupon Justice Parker wrote the following
letter to the jailer, and sent it to the Friend to deliver.
“Mr. Harris,
“I have been much importuned by some friends to
George Fox to write to you. I am informed by them, that
he is in a very weak condition, and very much indisposed;
what lawful favour you can do for the benefit of the air for
his health, pray show him. I suppose, the next term they
will make application to the king.
“I am, Sir, your loving friend,
“Henry Parker.”
Evesham, the 8th of October, 1674.
After this, my wife went to London, and spoke to the
king, laying before him my long and unjust imprisonment,
with the manner of my being taken, and the justices’ proceedings
against me, in tendering me the oath as a snare,
whereby they had premunired me; so that I being now his
prisoner, it was in his power, and at his pleasure, to release
me, which she desired. The king spoke kindly to her, and
referred her to the lord-keeper; to whom she went, but
could not obtain what she desired; for he said, “the king
could not release me otherwise than by a pardon;” and I
was not free to receive a pardon, knowing I had not done
evil. If I would have been freed by a pardon, I need not
have lain so long, for the king was willing to give me pardon
long before, and told Thomas Moore, “that I need not scruple
being released by a pardon, for many a man, that was as
innocent as a child, had had a pardon granted him;” yet I
could not consent to have one. For I had rather have lain
229in prison all my days, than have come out in any way dishonourable
to truth; wherefore I chose to have the validity
of my indictment tried before the judges. And thereupon,
having first had the opinion of a counsellor upon it (Thomas
Corbet, of London, whom Richard Davies of Welchpool was
well acquainted with, and recommended to me), an habeas
corpus was sent down to Worcester to bring me up once
more to the King’s Bench bar, for the trial of the errors in
my indictment. The under-sheriff set forward with me the
4th of the 12th Month, there being with us in the coach the
clerk of the peace and some others. The clerk had been my
enemy all along, and now sought to ensnare me in discourse;
but I saw, and shunned him. He asked me, “what I would
do with the errors in the indictment?” I told him, “they
should be tried, and every action should crown itself.” He
quarrelled with me for calling their ministers priests. I
asked him, “if the law did not call them so?” Then he
asked me, “What I thought of the church of England? were
there no Christians among them?” I said, “they are all
called so, and there are many tender people amongst them.”
We came to London on the 8th, and on the 11th I was
brought before the four judges at the King’s Bench, where
Counsellor Corbet pleaded my cause. He started a new plea;
for he told the judges, “that they could not imprison any
man upon a premunire.” Whereupon Chief Justice Hale,
said, “Mr. Corbet, you should have come sooner, at the
beginning of the term, with this plea.” He answered, “we
could not get a copy of the return and the indictment.” The
judge replied, “you should have told us, and we would have
forced them to make a return sooner.” Then said Judge
Wild, “Mr. Corbet, you go upon general terms; and if it be
as you say, we have committed many errors at the Old
Bailey, and in other courts.” Corbet was positive that by
law they could not imprison upon a premunire. The judge
said, “there is summons in the statute.” “Yes,” said Corbet,
“but summons is not imprisonment; for summons is in
230order to a trial.” “Well,” said the judge, “we must have
time to look in our books and consult the statutes.” So the
hearing was put off till the next day.
The next day they chose rather to let this plea fall, and
begin with the errors of the indictment; and when they came
to be opened, they were so many and gross, that the judges
were all of opinion that, “the indictment was quashed and
void, and that I ought to have my liberty.” There were
that day several great men, lords and others, who had the
oaths of allegiance and supremacy tendered to them in open
court, just before my trial came on; and some of my adversaries
moved the judges, that the oaths might be tendered
again to me, telling them, “I was a dangerous man to be at
liberty.” But Judge Hale said, “he had indeed heard some
such reports, but he had also heard many more good reports
of me;” and so he and the rest of the judges ordered me to
be freed by proclamation. Thus after I had suffered imprisonment
a year and almost two months for nothing, I was
fairly set at liberty upon a trial of the errors in my indictment,
without receiving any pardon, or coming under any
obligation or engagement at all; and the Lord’s everlasting
power went over all, to his glory and praise. Counsellor
Corbet, who pleaded for me, obtained great fame by it, for
many of the lawyers came to him, and told him he had
brought that to light which had not been known before, as
to the not imprisoning upon a premunire; and after the trial
a judge said to him, “You have attained a great deal of
honour by pleading George Fox’s cause so in court.”
During the time of my imprisonment in Worcester, notwithstanding
my illness and want of health, and my being
so often hurried to and fro to London and back again, I
wrote several books for the press; one of which was called,
A Warning to England. Another was, To the Jews, proving,
by the Prophets, that the Messiah is come. Another, Concerning
Inspiration, Revelation, and Prophecy. Another, Against
all Vain Disputes. Another, For all Bishops and Ministers
231to try themselves by the Scriptures. Another, To such as say,
“We love none but ourselves.”ourselves.” Another entitled, Our Testimony
concerning Christ. And another little book, Concerning
Swearing; being the first of those two that were given to the
parliament. Besides these, I wrote many papers and epistles
to Friends to encourage and strengthen them in their services
for God, which some, who had made profession of truth, but
had given way to a seducing spirit, and were departed from
the unity and fellowship of the gospel, in which Friends
stand, endeavoured to discourage them from, especially in
their diligent and watchful care for the well-ordering and
managing of the affairs of the church of Christ.
CHAPTER VII.
232
1675-1677.—George Fox attends the Yearly Meeting, and afterwards
sets forward towards the North—attends the Quarterly Meeting at
Lancaster, and goes thence to Swarthmore—writes many books and
papers for the Truth—the titles of several named—writes to Friends
in Westmorland to keep in the power of God, and thereby avoid
strife—writes an epistle to the Yearly Meeting—makes a collection
and arrangement of his various papers and writings, and of the
names of divers Friends engaged in particular service, or against the
Truth—some meetings for discipline established in the North in
1653—recites his labours and travels for establishing meetings for
discipline—a spirit of discord and separation appears in the church—the
separatists are rebuked and reproved—the establishment of
men’s and women’s meetings is much opposed—a narrative of the
spreading of Truth, and of the opposition from the worldly powers—death
of Priest Lampitt, a persecutor—George Fox travels again
towards the South—writes to his wife from York—finds some slack
in their testimony against Tithes—writes an epistle to Friends on
the subject—attends the Yearly Meeting—with John Burnyeat, and
other Friends, visits Wm. Penn at his house at Worminghurst, in
Sussex—sets things in order for visiting Holland—precious meeting.
Being now at liberty, I visited Friends in London;
and having been very weak, and not yet well recovered, I
went to Kingston. I did not stay long, but having visited
Friends there, I returned to London, wrote a paper to the
parliament, and sent several books to them. A great book
against Swearing had been delivered to them a little before;
the reasonableness whereof had so much influence upon
many of them, that it was thought they would have done
something towards our relief, if they had sat longer. I stayed
in and near London till the Yearly Meeting, to which Friends
came from most parts of the nation, and some from beyond
the sea. A glorious meeting we had in the everlasting power
of God.
This meeting being over, and the parliament also risen
(who had done nothing for or against Friends,) I was clear
233of my service for the Lord at London. And having taken
my leave of Friends there, and had a glorious meeting with
some of them at John Elson’s in the morning, I set forward
with my wife and her daughter Susan, by coach (for I was
not able to travel on horseback) towards the North; many
Friends accompanying us as far as Highgate, and some to
Dunstable, where we lodged that night. We visited
Friends, and were visited by them, at Newport-Pagnel,
Northampton, and Cossall, where, amongst others, came
a woman, and brought her daughter, for me to see how well
she was; putting me in mind, “that when I was there before,
she had brought her to me, much troubled with the disease
called the king’s evil, and had then desired me to pray for
her;” which I did, and she grew well upon it, praised be
the Lord! From Cossall we went on by John Simcock’s
and William Gandy’s, to Warrington and Preston, and so
to Lancaster.
I had not been at Lancaster since I was carried prisoner
from thence by the under-sheriff and jailer, towards Scarbro’
Castle. I found the town full of people; for it was both the
fair time, and the trained bands were met upon a general
muster. Many Friends were also in town from several parts
of the county, because the Quarterly Meeting was to be there
the next day. I stayed two nights and a day at Lancaster,
and visited Friends both at their men’s and women’s meetings,
which were very full, large, and peaceable; for the
Lord’s power was over all, and none meddled with us. Here
met us Thomas Lower and his wife, Sarah Fell, James Lancaster,
and Leonard Fell. Next day after the meeting, being
the 25th of the 4th Month, we went over the Sands, with
several other Friends, to Swarthmore.
After I had been a while at Swarthmore, several Friends
from divers parts of the nation came to visit me, and some
out of Scotland; by whom I understood that four young
students of Aberdeen were convinced there this year, at a
dispute held there by Robert Barclay, and George Keith,
234with some of the scholars of that university.[36]
Among others Colonel Kirby paid me a visit, who had
been one of my great persecutors; but now, he said, he
came to bid me welcome into the country; and carried himself
in appearance very lovingly. Yet before I left Swarthmore,
he sent for the constables of Ulverstone, and ordered
them to tell me, “that we must have no more meetings at
Swarthmore; for if we had, they were commanded by him
to break them up; and they were to come the next First-day.”
That day we had a very precious meeting, the Lord’s
presence was wonderfully amongst us, and the constables
did not come to disturb us. The meetings have been quiet
since, and have increased.
The illness I got in my imprisonment at Worcester had
so much weakened me, that it was long before I recovered
my natural strength again. For which reason, and as many
things lay upon me to write, both for public and private
service, I did not stir much abroad during the time that I
now stayed in the North; but when Friends were not with
me, spent much time in writing for truth’s service. While
I was at Swarthmore, I gave several books to be printed.
One, Concerning Swearing. Another, showing, “that none
are successors to the Prophets and Apostles, but who succeed
them in the same power and Holy Ghost that they were in.”
Another, “that Possession is above Profession, and how the
professors now do persecute Christ in Spirit, as the professing
Jews did persecute him outwardly in the days of his flesh.”
Also the eight following books, viz.:—To the Magistrates
of Dontzic; Cain against Abel, or, an Answer to the New
Englandmen’s Laws; To Friends at Nevis, concerning
Watching;[37] A General Epistle to all Friends in America;
Concerning Cæsar’s due, and God’s due, &c.; Concerning
235the Ordering of Families; The Spiritual Man judgeth all
things; Concerning the Higher Power.
Besides these, I wrote several epistles to Friends, both in
England, and beyond the seas; and answers to divers papers
concerning “the running out of some, who had opposed the
order of the gospel, and had stirred up much strife and contention
in Westmorland.” Wherefore I was moved to write
a few lines, particularly to Friends there.
“This is for Friends in Westmorland.
“All live in the power of God, in his Light and Spirit,
which first convinced you; that in it ye may keep in the
ancient unity, in humility, in the fear of the Lord, and his
gentle and peaceable wisdom, which is easy to be entreated;
that in the same Power, Light, and Spirit of God, ye may
all be serviceable in your men’s and women’s meetings, in
the possession of the gospel-order; which gospel, the power
of God, hath brought life and immortality to light; that in
this ye may see over him that hath darkened you. In this
power, the glorious gospel, no apostates can come; for the
power of God was before apostates were, or the fall of man
and woman was, or the devil either, and will be when he is
gone. Therefore praise God in the eternal fellowship of the
everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ, which is not of man, nor
by man. And therefore, all Friends in Westmorland, keep
in the power of God, which will and must preserve and cover
you, if ye be preserved. Let your faith stand in the power
of God, and not in the wisdom of men’s words, lest ye fall.
In God’s power ye have peace, life, and unity; and for want
of keeping in God’s power, and in his righteousness and
Holy Ghost, is all this strife come among you.”
G. F.
I also wrote the following general epistle to Friends at
the Yearly Meeting in London:—
“My dear Friends and Brethren,
“Whom the Lord hath preserved by his eternal power
to this day, over and through many troubles, storms, tempests,
and prisons. Let, therefore, every one’s faith stand in the
power of God, which is over the Devil and was before him.
So your faith standing in the invisible power of God, stands
in that which does not change; and the faith, that Christ
Jesus, the power of God, is the author of, must stand in the
power of God; so then it stands in that which is over all, in
236which they are established. To this the apostle brought the
church, the true Christians; and so now the faith of all true
Christians, which Christ is the author of, must stand in the
power of God, in which the everlasting kingdom stands. As
every one’s faith stands in the power of God, it keeps all in
the power of godliness.
“For as it was in the days of the apostles, when some
were crying up Paul and Apollos, and so forth, he judged
them as carnal; and exhorted and admonished them, that
their faith should not stand in men, nor in the words of man’s
wisdom, but in the power of God. He said ‘he would not
know the speech of them, but the power amongst them; for
the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.’ So it is
to be now. Every one’s faith must stand in the power of
God, and not in men, nor in their speeches or good words.
For we have seen by experience, when any begin to cry up
men, and their faith stands in them, such men as would have
people’s faith stand in them, love popularity, and bring not
people’s faith to stand in the power of God. Such cannot
exalt Christ; and when such fall, they draw a great company
after them. Therefore the apostle would not know such
after the flesh, but would know them that were in the power
and Spirit; and struck down every one’s faith that stood in
the words of man’s wisdom, that they might stand in the
power of God. So it must be now. They whose faith doth
not stand in the power of God, cannot exalt his kingdom
that stands in power; therefore every one’s faith must stand
in the power of God.
“The apostle denied popularity, when he judged the
Corinthians, for looking at Paul and Apollos, to be carnal;
such are carnal still. Therefore all should know one another
in the Spirit, life, and power, and look at Christ; this keeps
all in humility. They, whose faith stands in men, will make
sects; as in the days of J. N. and J. P. and others. The faith
of such Christ is not the author of; and if he hath been,
they have erred from it, and made shipwreck of it. All that
are in the true faith, that stands in the power of God, will
judge them as carnal, and judge down that carnal part in
them, that cries up Paul or Apollos; that their faith may
stand in the power of God, and that they may exalt Christ,
the author of it. For every one’s eye ought to be to Jesus;
and every just man and woman may live by their faith,
which Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of. By this
faith every man and woman may see God, who is invisible;
this faith gives the victory, and by it he hath access to God.
So every one’s faith and hope standing in the power of God,
all therein have unity, victory, and access to God’s throne of
237grace; in which faith they please God. By this faith they
are saved;—by this faith they obtain the good report, and
subdue all the mountains that have been betwixt them and
God.
“This power hath preserved Friends over their persecutors,
over the wrath of men, and above the spoilings of
their goods, and imprisonments; as seeing God who created
all—who gives the increase of all, and upholds all by his
word and power. Therefore let every one’s faith be in his
power. In this no schism or sect can come; for it is over
them, before they were, and will be when they are gone.
But perfect unity is in the truth, in the Spirit, that circumcises
the body of death, that puts off the sins of the flesh,
and plunges it down with the Spirit. In the Spirit of God,
there is perfect fellowship; and Christ is the minister of this
circumcision and baptism.
“This is upon me from the Lord, to write unto you, that
every one of you, whose faith Jesus is the author of, may
stand in the power of God. From the Lord I warn you, and
all everywhere, of the same. For if a star should fall, which
has been a light, either the earth or the sea does receive it;
that is, the earthly mind, or the foaming, raging people;
though neither the seed, light, power, nor truth ever fell,
nor the faith itself, the gift of God; but men going from it,
become unsavoury.
“Adam, whilst he kept in truth, and obeyed the command
of God, was happy; but when he disobeyed the Lord,
he fell under the power of Satan, and became unhappy,
though he might talk after of his experiences in Paradise;
but he had lost his image, his power and dominion, in which
God had created him.
“The Jews received the law of God, and as long as they
kept the law, which was just, holy, good, and perfect, it kept
them good, just, holy, and savoury; but when they turned
their backs on the Lord, and forsook his law, then they came
under the power of darkness, under the powers of the earth,
and were trodden under as unsavoury.
“So the Christians were called ‘a city set on a hill, the
light of the world, and the salt of the earth;’ but when they
forsook the power of God, and their faith stood in words and
men, and not in the power, then their walls fell down, though
the power in itself stood; and they lost their hill, their saltness,
and their shining. And as Christendom now does confess,
they are not in the same power and spirit that the
apostles were in; so not in the same salt, nor upon the same
hill. So they came to be trodden under; and the beast, the
whore, and the false prophet are uppermost, the unsavoury.
238Their dead faith is in men, and in words; therefore they are
full of sects, and one against another.
“And now the everlasting gospel, the power of God, is
preached again, which was before the devil was, that darkened
man; and by this power of God, life and immortality
are brought to light again. Therefore every one’s faith is to
stand in this power, that hath brought life and immortality
to light in them, that so all may come to be heirs of the
power of God, the gospel. Herein all have a right to the
power of God, which is also the authority of the men’s and
women’s meetings, and of all the other meetings set up
thereby.
“Now, as the gospel is preached again, if your faith does
not stand in the power, but in men, and in the wisdom of
words, you will grow carnal; and such are for judgment,
who cry up Paul or Apollos, and not Christ, the author of
your faith. They who love to be popular, would have
people’s faith to stand in them; and such do not preach
Christ, but themselves. But such as preach Christ and his
gospel, would have every man and woman to be in the possession
of it, and every man and woman’s faith to stand in
Christ, the author of it, and in the power of God. And as
their faith stands in the power of God, nothing can get between
them and God; for if any should fall amongst us, as
too many have done, that [love of popularity] leads its followers
either into the waters, or into the earth.
“If any should go from the spirit of prophecy, that did
open to them, and from the power, they may speak their experiences,
which the power opened to them formerly. So
might Adam and Eve speak of what they saw and enjoyed
in Paradise; so might Cain and Balaam of what they saw;
and also the Jews, Korah and Dathan, who praised God on
the banks, saw the victory over Pharaoh, ate of the manna,
drank of the rock, came to Mount Sinai, and saw the glory
of the Lord. So also might the false apostles speak of their
experiences, and all those false Christians, that turned from
the apostles and Christ. And so may those do now, that err
from the Spirit, that are come out of Egypt (in spirit) and
Sodom, and have known the raging of the Sodomites, as Lot
did the outward; and the pursuit of the spiritual Egyptians,
as the outward Jew did of the outward Egyptians; yet if
they do not walk in the Spirit of God, in the light, and in
the grace, which keeps their hearts established, and their
words seasoned, and also their faith in the power of God, in
which the kingdom stands; they may go forth like the false
Christians, like the Jews, like Adam and Eve, Cain, Korah,
and Balaam, and be wandering stars, trees without fruit,
239wells without water, and clouds without rain; and so come
to be unsavoury and trodden down; as Adam who lost Paradise,
and the Jews who lost the Holy Land, not walking in
the law, and keeping the command of God; and as the
Christians who lost the city, the hill, the salt, and the light
since the apostle’s days, and came to be unsavoury, and to be
trodden under foot of men.
“Therefore, let every one’s faith stand in the Lord’s
power, which is over all; through which they may be built
upon the Rock, the Foundation of God, the Seed Christ Jesus.
So all in Christ may be always fresh and green; for he is
the green tree that never withers. All are fresh and green
that are grafted into and abide in him, bringing forth
heavenly fresh fruits to the praise of God. And though
Adam and Eve fell from Paradise, the Jews fell from the law
of God, and many of the Christians fell from their prophecies,
and erred from the faith, the Spirit, and the grace; and the
stars have fallen, as was spoken in the Revelations: yet the
Spirit, grace, faith, and power of God remain.
“Many such states have I seen within these twenty-eight
years; though there is a state that shall never fall, nor
be deceived, in the Elect before the world began. These are
come to the end of the prophecies, are in Him where they
end, and renewed by Christ into the image of God which
man was in before he fell,—in that power where he had dominion
over all that God made: and not only so, but they
‘attain to a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of
the fulness of Christ,’ who never fell. In him is the sitting
down in life eternal, where their feet stand sure and fast in
the gospel, his power. Here their bread is sure; and he that
eats this bread lives for ever.
“And all Friends and brethren, that declare God’s
eternal truth, and word of life, live in it; be seasoned with
grace, and salted with the heavenly salt, that your lives and
conversations may preach wherever you come;—that there
be no rawness, no quenching of the Spirit, no despising of
prophecy either in men or women. For all must meet in the
faith that Jesus is the author of, and in the light that comes
from Jesus, and be so grafted into the life, that your knowledge
may be there one of another, in Christ; and that there
may be none slothful, nor sitting down in earthly things,
minding them, like Demas of old; lest you clothe yourselves
with another clothing than you had at first; but all keep
chaste; for the chaste do follow the Lamb.
“And Friends, that are settled in places, and are ministers,
possess, as if ye did not; be married, as if ye were not;
and be loose to the world in the Lord’s power; for God’s oil
240will be above all visible things, which makes his lamps burn,
and gives light afar off. Let none strive nor covet to be rich
in this world, in these changeable things that will pass away;
but let your faith stand in the Lord God, who changes not,
who created all, and gives the increase of all.
“Now Friends, concerning faithful men’s and women’s
meetings, which were set up in God’s counsel; whoever
oppose them, and the authority and tenure of them, oppose
the power of God, which is the authority of them. They are
no ministers of the gospel, nor of Christ, that oppose his
power, which all are to possess. The gospel is to be preached
to all nations: as deceit is gone over all nations, and all
nations have drunk the whore’s cup, and she hath them in
her cage, her unclean power from the beast and dragon, out
of the power of God, and out of truth, and the Spirit of God
the apostles were in; the power of God must come over all
this again; and all the true ministers that preach the gospel,
the power of God, must bring people into the possession of
it again. I say, whosoever preaches the gospel of Christ and
him to people or nations, those people and nations receiving
the gospel, receive the power of God, that brings life and immortality
to light in them; they see over the devil that hath
darkened them, and over the beast, the whore, and her cage.
So, by the power of God, life and immortality are brought to
light in them; then these men and women, being heirs of
this power, the gospel, are heirs of authority and power over
the devil, beast, whore, and dragon.
“This is their possession and portion; and they are to
labour in their possession and portion, and 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’s 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.
In this are all to meet and to worship God; by this are all to
act; and in this all have fellowship, a joyful fellowship, a
joyful and comfortable assembly. This is the day when, in
the eternal light, all are to take their possession of the gospel
and its order, that power of God, which they are heirs of.
All faithful men and women in every country, city, and
nation, whose faith stands in the power of God, the gospel
of Christ, who have received, and are in the possession of,
this gospel, the power of God, have all right to the power in
these meetings; for they are heirs of the power, which is the
authority of the men’s and women’s 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
241power of God, to go to the meetings, the men to the men’s,
and the women to the women’s; for they are heirs of the
power, which is not of man, nor by man, but from heaven,
received in the Holy Ghost; and they see over enmity, and
before it was, by the light, by the life, and immortality, which
are brought to light in them.
“The devil, the author of enmity, cannot get into this
authority, power, order, nor fellowship of the gospel; nor
into this life, light, nor unity of the faith, which gives victory
over him that hath separated man from God. Into the
unity of this faith the serpent cannot come, nor into the
worship of God in Spirit and truth can the devil come, or any
enmity. And they that are in this, are in unity over him.
Therefore, let every one’s faith stand in the power of God,
the glorious gospel; and let all walk as becomes the gospel,
and the order of it. As every one hath received Christ Jesus
the Lord, so walk in him, and let him be their Lord and
Orderer. For the preaching of the gospel of Christ Jesus is
to the intent that all may come to be heirs of the gospel, and
into the possession of it; and to be heirs of Christ and of his
government, of the increase of which there is no end; who
is over all in his righteousness, and over all in his light, life,
power, and dominion. Therefore know one another in his
power, his gospel, which is the authority of your meetings;
know one another in Christ Jesus, who is able to restore man
out of the state of the fall, into the image of God, into that
power and dominion that man had before he fell, and into
Himself that never fell, whence they shall go no more forth.
Here is the rock and foundation of God that stands sure.
“And, Friends, be tender to the tender principle of God
in all. Shun vain disputes and janglings, both amongst yourselves
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, are out of the life;
and the apostle’s disputing with them was to bring them to
the life. And those disputers, that were amongst the Christians,
about genealogies, circumcision, and the law, meats,
drinks, and days, came to be the worst sort of disputers,
whom the apostles judged; for such destroyed people from
the faith. Therefore the apostles exhorted the churches, that
every one’s faith should stand in the power of God, and to
look at Jesus, the author of it. There every graft stands in
Christ, the vine, quiet; where no blustering storms can hurt
them; there is safety. 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,
242Christ, 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, serve and worship him, in his
Spirit and in his truth; by which they are made God’s free
men and women, free from him that is out of the truth.
“Now, Friends, you that have long been labourers, and
have known the dealings of the Lord these twenty years
(more or less,) as I have often said to you, draw up what you
can, of those passages and sufferings which the Lord hath
carried you through by his power, and how by him ye have
been supported from the first; that the Lord may be exalted
by his power now, and in ages to come, who hath been the
only support, defence, and stay, of his people all along, over
all to himself; to whom be all glory and praise for ever and
ever, Amen. He 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 days
of all his people. Therefore let there be no boasting, but in
the Lord, and in his power and kingdom; this keeps all in
humility.
“And, Friends, in the Lord’s power and truth, what
good you can do for Friends in prison, or sufferers, by informing
or helping them, every one bend yourselves 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 another’s condition,
in bonds, or in what trials and tribulations soever; you
will have a fellow-feeling one of another, having one head,
one Lord, and being one body in him. For God’s heavenly
flail hath brought out his seed, his heavenly plough hath
turned up the fallow ground, and his heavenly seed is sown
by the heavenly man, which brings forth fruits to the
heavenly sower, in some fifty, sixty, and a hundred fold in
this life; and such in the world without end will have life
eternal. O, therefore, all keep within; let your lights shine,
and your lamps burn, that you all may be wells full of the
living water, and trees full of the living fruit of God’s
planting, whose fruit is unto holiness, and the end everlasting
life.
“The Lord God of power preserve you all in his power.
Let your faith stand therein, that you may have unity in the
faith, and in the power; and by this faith and belief you
may be all grafted into Christ, the sure root, where the eternal
243Sun of Righteousness shines, in the heavenly and eternal
day, upon his plants and grafts. This sun never goes down;
and the heavenly springs of life, and showers are known to
water and nourish the grafts, and plants, and buds, that they
may always be kept fresh and green, and never wither;
bringing forth fresh and green, and living fruit, which is
offered up to the living God, who is glorified in that you
bear much fruit. The Lord God Almighty keep you, and
preserve you all in his power, light, and life, over death and
darkness; that therein you may spread his truth abroad, and
be valiant for it upon the earth, answering that of God in all;
that with it, the minds of people may be turned to him, so
that with it they may come to know the Lord Christ Jesus in
the new covenant, in which the knowledge of the Lord shall
cover the earth as the waters do the sea. His life must go
over death, and his light must go over darkness, and the
power of God must go over the power of Satan.
“So, all ye that are in the light, life, and power, keep
the heavenly fellowship in the heavenly power, the heavenly
unity in the heavenly divine faith, and the unity of the
Spirit, which is the bond of the heavenly Prince of princes’
peace; who bruises the head of the enemy, the adversary,
and reconciles man to God, and all things in heaven and in
the earth: a blessed reconciliation! Let every one’s faith
stand in the power of God, which Jesus Christ is the author
of; that all may know their crown of life. For all outward
things without the substance, life, and power, areas the husk
without the kernel, and do not nourish the immortal soul,
nor the new-born babe; but that by which it is nourished,
is the milk of the Word, whereby it groweth in the heavenly
life, strength, and wisdom. The gospel is not of man, nor
by man, but is the power of God, and answers the truth in
all; all the possessors of it are to see that all walk according
to it; which everlasting order is ordained of God already,
and all the possessors of him possess their joy, their comfort,
and salvation. My love unto you all, with him that reigns
and is over all, from everlasting to everlasting.
“Dwell in the love of God, which passeth knowledge,
and edifieth the living members of the body of Christ;
which love of God you come to be built up in, and in the
holy faith. This love of God will bring you to bear all things,
endure all things, and hope all things. From this love of
God which you have in Christ Jesus, nothing will be able to
separate you; neither powers nor principalities, heights nor
depths, things present nor things to come, prisons nor
spoiling of goods, neither death nor life. The love of God
keeps above all that which would separate from God, and
244makes you more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. Therefore
in this love of God dwell, that with the same love you may
love one another, and all the workmanship of God—that you
may glorify God with your bodies, souls, and spirits, which
are the Lord’s. Amen.”
G. F.
“All Friends sit low in life, the Lord’s power. Keep
your place in it, till the Lord and Master of the feast bid you
‘sit higher;’ lest you take the highest place, and be put
down with shame. He that hath an ear, let him hear.”
G. F.
“Friends, take heed of speaking the things of God in
the words that men’s wisdom hath taught; for those words
will lift up the foolish, that have erred from the Spirit of
God; which words and wisdom are for condemnation, and
that which is lifted up by them, and they that thereby speak
the things of God in them. So that old house, with its goods,
must be thrown under the foot of the new birth.
“And, Friends, I desire that you may all keep the holy
order, which is in the gospel, the glorious order in the power
of God, which the devil is out of; which was before all his
orders were, and before the world made any.
“This joyful order keeps all hearts pure to God, in everlasting
peace, unity, and order; feel it, and keep the order
of it, both men and women, and come to be heirs of the gospel,
which brings life and immortality to light; and to see
over that power of darkness, by Him who was before the
power of death was. In this is the holy order of love and
peace. So keep in this, that keeps you always pure; what
men and women act in this, they act in that which will
stand when the world is gone.
“There hath been some scruple about men’s and women’s
meetings. Men and women in the gospel are heirs of the
power, which was before the devil was; heirs of this, then
enter into the possession of it, and do the Lord’s business
therein. Everyone take the care of God’s honour, and keep
all things in righteousness, in holiness which becomes God’s
house, and in that which honours the Lord God. It eased
me, when those meetings were set up; for men and women,
that are heirs of the gospel, have right to the gospel order;
and it belongs to them. Then take your possessions, and
practise in it; be not talkers only, but live and walk in the
gospel, the power of God, which is the authority of your
meetings.”
G. F.
Swarthmore, the 28th of the 2nd Month, 1676.
[The above Epistle was read at the Yearly Meeting in
London, the 17th of the 3rd Month, 1676.]
245During this time I collected together as many as I could,
of the epistles I had written in former years to Friends. I
made a collection of the several papers that I had written
to Oliver Cromwell, and his son Richard, in the time of their
protectorships; and to the parliaments and magistrates that
were in their times. I collected also the papers I had written
to King Charles II. since his return, and to his council and
parliaments, and the justices or other magistrates under him.
I made another collection of certificates, which I had received
from divers governors of places, judges, justices, parliament-men,
and others, for the clearing of me from many
slanders, which the envious priests and professors, both here
and beyond the seas, had cast upon me. This I did for the
truth’s sake, as knowing that their design in slandering me,
was to defame the truth published by me, and hinder the
spreading thereof amongst the people. Besides these, I made
two books of collections; one was, a list or catalogue of the
names of those Friends who went out of the North of
England, when truth first broke forth there, to proclaim the
day of the Lord through this nation. The other was of the
names of those Friends that went first to preach the gospel
in other nations, countries, and places, in what years, and to
what parts they went.
I made another collection, in two books; one of epistles
and letters from Friends and others, on several occasions, to
me; the other of letters of mine to Friends and others.
I wrote also a book of the types and figures of Christ,
with their significations; and many other things, which will
be of service to truth and Friends in time to come.
I took notice also of those who had run out from truth,
drawn others out after them, and turned against truth and
Friends at several times since the first breaking forth of
truth in this latter age, and what became of them; noting
particularly the repentance and return of such of them as
came back to truth again. Some ran quite out, and never
returned, but were cut off in their gainsaying and rebellion;
246for the word and power of God hath blasted and is blasting
them, and the holy seed hath ground, and is grinding them
to pieces. I have observed, that they who have been convinced,
and have not lived and walked in the truth, have
been the worst enemies to the truth, and done most hurt
amongst Friends in the truth, and to others. In these I have
seen fulfilled what the Lord did long since show me, “that
such should be greater deceivers than all the priests and professors.”
For such as came as far as Cain, Balaam, Korah,
and Dathan, and could “preach Christ,” and say, “they had
preached in his name;” such as came to be apostles, and had
tasted of the power of Christ, and then turned from it, could
yet speak their old experiences, and have good words, like
Korah and Balaam: but not keeping in the life and truth,
they deceived the hearts of the simple. Such come to be of
the devil, who abode not in the truth; as Cain, and all the
Jews, that abode not in the truth, were. For though Cain
did sacrifice to God, and did talk with God; and the Jews
could talk of Abraham, Moses, and the prophets, yet Christ
told them, “they were of their father, the devil.” In like
manner, though they who are called Christians, can talk of
Christ, and use his and his apostles’ and disciples’ words, yet
not abiding in the truth, and power, and Spirit, that the
apostles were in, they are of the devil, out of truth, and do
his work. So are all those that have been convinced of God’s
eternal truth since it sprang up in this nation, that have not
abode in the light, and in the Spirit and power of Christ
Jesus; but have turned against the power, and have opposed
the work thereof; though they may retain their former experiences,
and be able to speak many good words, yet not
living in the life and power that gave them those experiences,
they live in the power of darkness, which is of the devil:
and by the light and truth both he and they are condemned;
and must own their condemnation if ever they come to truth
again. For to resist the heavenly power, and to oppose the
workings and divine manifestations thereof through any, is
247not a light matter.
As I had been moved of the Lord to travel in his power
round this nation, and in other parts, to preach the everlasting
gospel, and to declare the Word of Life, which was in
the beginning, through many imprisonments, hardships,
sufferings, and trials; so I was afterwards moved to travel,
in the same heavenly power, about the nation again (and to
write to such places where I came not) to recommend to
Friends the “setting up of the quarterly and monthly meetings
in all counties, for looking after the poor, taking care
for orderly proceedings in marriages; and other matters relating
to the church of Christ;” though some meetings for
this end were settled in the North of England, in the year
1653.
After this also, truth still spreading further over the
nation, and Friends increasing in number, I was moved, by
the same eternal power, to recommend the setting up of
women’s meetings also; that all, both male and female, who
had received the gospel, the Word of eternal Life, might
come into the order of the gospel, brought forth by the
power of God, and might act for God in the power, and
therein do business and service for him in his church. All
the faithful must labour in God’s vineyard, they being his
hired servants, and he having given them the earnest of his
Spirit. For a master that hires a servant, and gives him the
earnest of his hire, expects he should do his work, after he
knows his will, in the outward creation; so all God’s people,
that are of the new creation, and have received the earnest
of his Spirit, ought to labour with, by, and in his Spirit,
power, and grace, and faith, in the light, in God’s vineyard,
that they may have their wages when they have done God’s
work and business in his day, which is eternal life. But
none can labour in his vineyard, and do his work and will,
but as they walk in the heavenly divine light, grace, and
Spirit of Christ; which it hath been, and is, my travail and
labour in the Lord to turn all to.
248Some that professed truth, and had made a great show
therein, being gone from the simplicity of the gospel into
jangling, division, and a spirit of separation, endeavoured to
discourage Friends (especially the women), from their godly
care and watchfulness in the church over one another in the
truth; opposing their meetings, which, in the power of the
Lord, were set up for that end and service. Wherefore I
was moved of the Lord to write the following epistle, and
send it among Friends, for the discovering of that spirit, by
which those opposers acted, its work and way, by which it
wrought, and to warn Friends of it, that they might not be
betrayed by it:—
“All my dear Friends, Live in the seed of peace, Christ
Jesus, in whom ye have life. That spirit that comes amongst
you to raise up strife, is out of Christ; for it is the spirit
that is not easy to be entreated, not gentle, so not of the wisdom
of God, which is justified of her children. They that
follow that spirit, are none of Wisdom’s children. There is
a spirit that hath made a separation, and has been against
men’s and women’s meetings; yet those of this spirit have
set up one of their own, to which they have given power,
and allow none to sit amongst them but such as they give
power to, looking upon others as usurpers of authority.
This spirit and its work is not of God, though it has made a
jumble amongst some; and the path it may travel in, is
through the earthly affections, amongst the unestablished, or
apostates. But all that are in the life, Spirit, and light, in
the grace, truth, and power of God, bar it out; and such as
sit under their own vine, Christ Jesus, and are grafted into
him, have no need of their exhortation or counsel; for the
true believers are entered into their rest. Therefore all keep
in the gospel of peace; and you that are heirs of the kingdom,
keep in your possession of it.
“Some of this spirit have said to me, ‘they see no
service in women’s meetings.’ My answer is, and hath been
to such, if they be blind and without sight, they should not
oppose others; for none impose anything upon them. God
never received the blind for a sacrifice, neither can his people.
But Christ has enlightened all; and to as many as receive
him, he gives ‘power to become the sons of God.’ Such as
are heirs of his power, and of his gospel, which brings life
and immortality to light, can see over him that has darkened
them; and all such keep the order of the gospel, the power
249of God, and their meetings therein, which preserves them in
life and immortality. These see the great service of men’s
and women’s meetings, in the order of the gospel, the power
of God; for they are meet-helps in this power, which is the
authority of their meetings.
“Now I say to all of you, that are against women’s meetings
or the men’s, and say, ‘you see no service for the
women’s meetings,’ and oppose them, you are therein out of
the power of God, and his Spirit you live not in. For God
saw a service for the assemblies of the women in the time of
the law, about those things that appertained to his worship
and service, and to the holy things of his tabernacle; and so
they in his Spirit see now their service in the gospel; many
things in these meetings being more proper for the women
than the men; and they in the power and wisdom of God
may inform the men of such things as are not proper for
them; and the men may inform the women of such things
as are not proper for them, as meet-helps to each other. For
in the time of the law, the women were to offer as well as
the men; so in the time of the gospel much more are they
to offer their spiritual sacrifices; for they are all called, both
men and women, a royal priesthood; they are of the household
of faith; they are the living stones that make up the
spiritual building, which Christ is the head of; and are to
be encouraged in their labour in the gospel; for all things
that they do, both men and women, are to be done in the
power of God. All such as see no service for these women’s
meetings, or the men’s, but oppose them, and make strife
amongst Friends, are in the spirit of the world, that is against,
and forbids our other meetings;—are in the same spirit of
the world, that hath been, and is against women’s speaking
in meetings, and say, ‘they must be silent,’ &c., though the
same apostle commands, ‘that men should keep silence as
well as the women,’ if there were not an interpreter. Therefore,
you may see that the spirit of the world hath entered
such opposers, though they come under another colour; for
they would not have us to meet at all. And these are against
the women’s meetings, and some of them against the men’s
also, and say, ‘they see no service for them;’ then they may
hold their tongues, and not oppose them that do see their
service for God in these meetings.
“Therefore, all you that feel the power of God, and
your service for God in them, both men and women, keep
your meetings in the power of God, the authority of them,
as they were settled in it; then ye will be preserved both
over this spirit that opposes them, and over the spirit of the
world that opposes your other meetings; for it is all one
250in the ground, and would bring you into bondage. Such
are out of the peaceable gospel, who oppose its order; out
of the faith that works by love; out of the wisdom that is
gentle, easy, and peaceable, &c., and out of the kingdom that
stands in peace and joy. Therefore, keep over that spirit
that sows discord or dissension, and would draw you from
your habitation and possession in the order of the gospel;
for it is the same spirit that deceived Adam and Eve, by
which they lost their habitation in righteousness and holiness,,
and their dominion; so that spirit got over them; and so it
would get over you. One while it will tell you, ‘it sees no
service for your meetings,’ and another time will oppose
you. But I say, this is the blind spirit, which is out of the
power of God, and which the power of God is over. Therefore,
keep in the power, that ye may stand up for your
liberty in Christ Jesus, males and females, heirs of him and
of his gospel, and his order. Stand up for your liberty in
the gospel, and in the faith, which Christ Jesus hath been
the author of; for if ye lose it, and let another spirit get
over you, ye will not so soon regain it.
“I knew the devil would bestir himself in his instruments,
when men’s and women’s meetings came to be set up
in the power, light, and truth, and the heirs of the gospel,
to take their possession of it in every county and city, therein
to walk, and to watch one over another, to take care of God’s
glory and honour, and his precious truth; and to see that
all walk in the truth, and as becomes the gospel, and that
nothing be lacking; and so to exhort all whatsoever is decent,
modest, virtuous, lovely, comely, righteous, and of good
report, to follow after; to admonish all that are not faithful,
and to rebuke all that do evil. I knew this would give such
a check to all loose speakers, talkers, and walkers, that there
would be an opposition against such meetings. But never
heed, truth will come over them all, and is over them all,
and faith must have the victory; for the gospel and its order
is everlasting; the Seed (Christ) is the beginning and the
ending, and will outlast all; the Amen, in whom ye have
peace. I say all that oppose the men’s and women’s meetings,
or that marriages should be laid before them, or the recording
of condemnations of sin and evil, or admonishing or exhorting
such as walk not in the truth, are of a loose spirit, and their
spirits tend to looseness. Let those take them that will;
truth will not have them, nor any of their sacrifice; for
nothing is accepted of God, but what is done in truth, and
in his Spirit, which is peaceable. The authority of our men’s
and women’s meetings is the power of God; and all the
heirs of the gospel are heirs of that authority and dignity;
251this is of God, and shall answer the witness of God in all.
The greatest opposers of this practice and work, are such as
have been convinced of God’s truth, but have not lived in it.
Such were the greatest troublers of the church in Moses’
day, and in the days of the apostles; but mark their end,
and read what became of them all. And therefore, all keep
your habitation in the truth, and therein ye may see what
has become of all the opposers of it for twenty years past;
they are all gone, and the truth lives and reigns; the Seed
is over all, and all are one in it, in rest, peace, and life everlasting;
and therein they sit down together in the heavenly
places in Christ Jesus, the Amen.”
G. F.
Swarthmore, the 5th of the 8th Month, 1676.
Narrative of the spreading of Truth, and of the opposition thereto.
“The truth sprang up first to us, so as to be a people to
the Lord, in Leicestershire in 1644, in Warwickshire in 1645,
in Nottinghamshire in 1646, in Derbyshire in 1647, and the
adjacent counties in 1648, 1649, and 1650; in Yorkshire in
1651, in Lancashire and Westmorland in 1652; in Cumberland,
Durham, and Northumberland in 1653; in London,
and most of the other parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland,
in 1654.
“In 1655 many went beyond sea, where truth also
sprang up, and in 1656 it broke forth in America and many
other places.
“In the authority of this divine truth, Friends stood all
the cruelties and sufferings that were inflicted upon them by
the Long Parliament; to the spoiling of goods, imprisonment,
and death, and over all reproaches, lies, and slanders; as
well as those in Oliver Cromwell’s time, and all the acts made
by him and his parliament; his son Richard after him, and
the Committee of Safety; and afterwards withstood and outlasted
all the acts and proclamations since 1660, that the king
came in.
“Friends never feared their acts, prisons, jails, houses
of correction, banishment, nor spoiling of goods, nay, nor
the loss of life itself; nor was there ever any persecution
that came, but we saw in the event it would be productive of
good; nor were there ever any prisons that I was in, or
sufferings, but it was for the bringing multitudes out of
prison; though they who imprisoned the truth, and quenched
the Spirit in themselves, would imprison and quench it without
them; so that there was a time when so many were in
prison, that it became as a by-word, ‘truth is scarce anywhere
to be found but in jails.’
252“And after the king came in, divers Friends suffered
much, because they would not drink his health, and say,
‘God bless the king’; so that many Friends were in danger
of their lives from rude persons, who were ready to run them
through with their swords for refusing it, until the king
gave forth a proclamation against drinking healths; for we
were and are against drinking any healths, and all excess,
both before his coming in and after; and we desire the king’s
good, and that the blessing of God might come upon him
and all his subjects, and all people on the face of the earth;
but we desired people not to drink the king’s health, but let
him have his health, and all people else; and to drink for
their own health and necessity only; for that way of drinking
healths, and to excess, was not for the king’s health, nor their
own nor any others’; which excess often brought forth quarrelling
and destroying one another; for they destroyed the creation
and one another; and this was not for the king’s wealth,
nor health, nor honour, but might grieve him to have the
creatures and his subjects destroyed; and so the Lord’s
power gave us dominion over that also, and all our other
sufferings. But,
“O! the number of sufferers in the Commonwealth’s
and Oliver Cromwell’s days, and since; especially those who
were haled before the courts for not paying tithes, refusing
to swear on their juries, not putting off their hats, and for
going to meetings on the First-days; under pretence of
breaking the Sabbath; and to meetings on other days of the
week: who were abused both in meetings and on the highways.
“O! how great were the sufferings we then sustained
upon these accounts! for sometimes they would drive
Friends by droves into the prison-houses like penfolds, confine
them on the First-days, and take their horses from them,
and keep them for pretended breach of their Sabbath, though
they would ride in their coaches and upon their fat horses to
the steeple-houses themselves, and yet punish others. And
many Friends were turned out of their copyholds and
customary tenements, because, in obedience to the command
of Christ and his apostle, they could not swear; and as they
went to meetings, they have been stoned through the streets, and
otherwise cruelly abused. Many were fined with great fines,
and lay long in prison for not putting off their hats, which
fines Friends could never pay, though they kept them in
prison till they had satisfied their own wills, and at last
turned them out, after keeping them a year or more in prison.
“Many books I gave forth against tithes, showing how
the priesthood was changed that took them; and that Christ
253sent forth his twelve, and afterwards seventy disciples,
saying unto them, ‘Freely ye have received, freely give.’ So
all who do not obey the doctrine and command of Christ
therein, we cannot receive them.
“I was also moved to give forth several books against
swearing, and that our Yea and Nay might be taken instead
of an oath, which, if we broke, let us suffer the same punishment
as they who broke their oaths. And in Jamaica the
governor and the assembly granted the thing; it is also
granted in some other places; and several of the parliament
men in England have acknowledged the reasonableness thereof.
The magistrates, after some time, when they saw our
faithfulness in Yea and Nay, they who were moderate, both
before and since the king came in, would put Friends into
offices without an oath; but the cruel and envious would
fine Friends to get money of them, though they could not
pay them any.
“Thus the Lord’s power hath carried us through all,
and over all, to his everlasting glory and praise; for God’s
power hath been our hedge, our wall and our keeper (the
preserver of his plants and vineyard,) who have not had the
magistrates’ sword and staff to help us, nor ever trusted in
the arm of flesh, but have gone without these, or Judas’ bag,
to preach the Word of life, which was in the beginning
before they were; which reconciles to God. And thousands
have received this Word of reconciliation, and are born
again of the immortal Seed, by the Word of God; and are
feeding upon the milk of the Word, which lives and abides
for ever.
“Many have suffered death for their testimony, in England
and beyond the seas, both before and since the king
came in; which may be seen in an account given to the king
and both houses of parliament; being, ‘A brief, plain, and
true relation of the late and sad sufferings of the people of
God in scorn called Quakers, for worshipping and exercising
a good conscience towards God and man.’
“By reason whereof eighty-nine have suffered till death;
thirty-two of whom died before the king came into England,
and fifty-seven since, by hard imprisonment and cruel usage.
Forty-three have died in the city of London and Southwark
since the Act made against meetings, &c., about 1661, of
which a more particular account was given, with the names
of the sufferers, to the king and parliament, about 1663.
“And though divers laws were designed against us, yet
never could any of them justly touch us, being wrested and
misapplied in their execution by our adversaries, which
some have been made to confess. All those laws that were
254made, and the oath which they imprisoned us for, because,
in obedience to the command of Christ Jesus, we could not
swear at all, were not originally intended against us; and yet
we suffered by the several powers, and their laws, both spoiling
of goods and imprisonment, even to death. And the
governor of Dover castle, when the king asked him if he had
dispersed all the sectaries’ meetings? said, that ‘he had; but
the Quakers, the devil himself could not; for if he did imprison
them, and break up their meetings, they would meet
again; and if he should beat them or knock them down, or
kill some of them, all was one, they would meet, and not
resist again.’ Thus the Lord’s power supported and kept
them over their persecutors, and made them to justify our
patience and lamb-like nature. This was about 1671.
“Since the king came in, three acts have been made
against us, besides the proclamations, by which many have
suffered imprisonment and banishment, and many to death.
And yet for all these acts and proclamations, persecutions,
sufferings, banishments, faithful Friends are as fresh as ever
in the Lord’s power, and valiant for his name and truth.
“Some weak ones there were, when the king came in,
who took the oath; but after they had so done, they were
sore troubled for disobeying the command of Christ and the
apostle, and went to the magistrates, condemned themselves,
and offered to go to prison.
“Thus the Lord, in his everlasting power, hath been the
support and stay of his people; and still his Seed reigns, his
truth is over all, and exceedingly spreads unto this year 1676.”
In 1676, while I was at Swarthmore, died William Lampitt,
the old priest of Ulverstone (which parish Swarthmore
is in.) He was an old deceiver, a perverter of the right way
of the Lord, and a persecutor of the people of God. Much
contest I had with him, when I first came into those parts.
He had been an old false prophet; for in 1652 he prophesied
(and said he would wage his life upon it), “that the Quakers
would all vanish, and come to nought within half a year:”
but he came to nought himself. For he continued in his
lying and false accusing of God’s people, till a little before
he died, and then he cried for a little rest. To one of his
hearers that came to visit him before he died, he said, “I
have been a preacher a long time, and thought I had lived
well; but I did not think it had been so hard a thing to die.”
255After I had finished the services which lay upon me
then to do, feeling my spirit drawn again towards the south
(though I was yet but weakly, and not able to travel far in
a day,) I left Swarthmore the 26th of the 1st Month, 1677,
and went to Thomas Pearson’s at Pool Bank, in Westmorland,
where I had a meeting the next day; and thence
to Thomas Camm’s,[38] at Camsgill, where Robert Widders
with his wife, and several other Friends came to see me
before I left the country, and to attend the meeting there
next day, which was very large, and in which I was largely
drawn forth in testimony to the truth. I had much discourse
with some of that meeting, who were not in unity with the
quarterly meeting they belonged to; but afterwards several
of them that were somewhat tender, came to see their error,
and gave forth condemnations against themselves. Next
day John Blakelin came to Thomas Camm’s, to bring me to
his house at Drawell in Sedbergh, whither I went with
him, visiting Friends in the way. I stayed at Drawell two
or three nights, having meetings there and thereabouts; for
256while I was there the men’s and women’s meetings were
held there, which were very large and precious.
The First-day following I had a meeting at Brigflats,
to which came most of the Friends from the several meetings
round about, and a great concourse of others also; it was
thought there were five or six hundred people. A very good
meeting it was, wherein truth was largely declared and
preciously opened, to the comforting and refreshing of the
faithful, and the drawing near of them that were afar off.
I had another meeting at John Blakelin’s, at which were
many Friends that were going to the quarterly meeting at
Kendal. With them my wife went back, who, with her
daughter Rachel, had accompanied me thus far; and I, having
Leonard Fell with me, passed on through Sedbergh and
Garsdale, into Wensleydale, visiting Friends as we
went. At night I reached Richard Robinson’s at Counterside,
where several Friends came to me that evening; some
of whom went with me next day over the hills to the widow
Tennant’s at Scarhouse, in Langstroth-Dale, which we
had much difficulty to reach, the snow lay so deep, though
it was a week in the 2nd [4th?] Month. Here, on First-day, we
had a large meeting, Friends coming to it from several parts
round about; and the Lord gave me a very seasonable testimony
to bear amongst them, which I did for several hours,
to their great satisfaction and comfort.
Thence passing through Bishopdale, Middleham,
Barton, and so by Bedale and Northallerton, I came
to George Robinson’s at Burrowby; where also Friends
coming out of several parts, we had a very large and good
meeting, and very peaceable. But not long after, an envious
justice, who lived not far off, hearing that I had a great
meeting there, troubled Friends about it, 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, he told them, “he had heard that George
257Fox was at a large meeting with them, and they all sat silent,
and none spoke in the meeting.” This false story he cunningly
feigned, thinking thereby to draw out some of the
Friends to contradict him, and say, “that I had spoken in
the meeting;” that so he might convict them upon their own
confession, and fine them. But Friends standing in the
wisdom of God, did not answer him according to his desire,
and so escaped his snare. But two Friends that came out of
Ireland, and were at this meeting, having another 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 as I went. Robert Lodge and other Friends being
with me, we passed next day to York, and the day following
being First-day, I was at Friends’ meeting there, which was
large and peaceable. Second day also I stayed in York, and
had two meetings with Friends at John Taylor’s;[39] whence
258I wrote to my wife, as follows:—
“Dear Heart,
“To whom is my love, and to thy daughters, and to all
Friends that inquire after me. My desires are, that ye all
may be preserved in the Lord’s everlasting Seed, in whom
ye will have life and peace, 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 road
was many times deep and bad with snow, 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 Cleveland and Durham; and many other meetings
we have had. At York, yesterday, we had a very large
meeting, exceedingly thronged, Friends being at it from
many parts, and all quiet, and well satisfied: O! the glory
of the Lord shone over all. This day we have had a large
men’s and women’s 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 men’s and women’s
meeting of the Friends of the city. John Whitehead is here,
with Robert Lodge[40] 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 Tadcaster, though I cannot
ride as in days past; yet praised be the Lord that I can
travel as well as I do! So with my love in the fountain of
life, in which as ye all abide, ye will have refreshment of
259life, that by it ye may grow and gather eternal strength to
serve the Lord, and be satisfied. To the God of all power,
who is all-sufficient to preserve you, I commit you all to his
ordering.”
G. F.
York, the 16th of the 2nd Month, 1677.
Leaving York, I visited Friends at Tadcaster, Knottingley,
Doncaster, and Balby, having meetings as I
went. At Balby I stayed the First-day meeting, and went
next day to Thomas Stacey’s at Ballowfield, where in the
evening I had a meeting, to compose a difference that had
happened between some that professed truth, and they were
reconciled. Next day I came to Stainsby in Derbyshire,
in which county I had formerly lived about the first breaking
forth of truth. Here I had a good meeting with Friends,
and afterwards passed to Skegby in Nottinghamshire,
and from thence to Nottingham, to John Reckless’s. I
had a meeting with Friends at his house that evening, and
another next day in Friends’ public meeting-house, which
was peaceable and well.
I went the day following to John Fox’s at Wimeswold
in Leicestershire, where I had a meeting that evening;
and next day to William Smith’s at Sileby, where, it being
First-day, we had a very large meeting; for besides Friends
from several places, many of the townspeople hearing I was
there, came to it, 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 next day, I had a
very good meeting with them that night; and another next
evening at William Wells’s house at Knighton, about a mile
from Leicester. Next day I passed to Swannington, and
had a meetingmeeting there; thence to Samuel Fretwell’s at Hartshorn
in Derbyshire, where I had a meeting also; then to
Henry Sidon’s, at Baddesley in Warwickshire, and
stayed the meeting there, which, it being First-day, was very
large and peaceable, notwithstanding a justice had threatened
to come and break it up.
Having stayed a while with Friends, I went in the
260evening to Richard Ball’s of Whittington, where several
Friends came to visit me. 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, where a
meeting was appointed before, which was very large, and
truth was largely opened to the people. It was peaceable
and quiet, and the people generally sober; saving that while
I was showing how 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.” After this
meeting I went with Thomas Charles to his house at Adingworth,
and next day to Northampton, where I stayed the
First-day meeting, which was very large and peaceable. I
had much service among Friends besides. Next day Edward
Cooper of Northampton, accompanied me to Olney in Buckinghamshire,
where I stayed at James Brierlie’s, several
Friends coming to see me in the evening.
Next day I went to a meeting at Turvey in Bedfordshire,
to which Friends came from several parts; so that
it was very large. Here I met with William Dewsbury, who
after the meeting took me to his son-in-law John Rush’s of
Kempston, where I stayed with William that night and most
of next day, passing thence towards evening through Ampthill,
to Thomas Gamboll’s of Bullock’s Hill. William
Dewsbury went along with me, and several Friends came to
visit us. Next day, passing through Luton, I went to Market
Street, William Dewsbury accompanying me part of
the way, and the day following Leonard Fell[41] and I had a
meeting at Kensworth, which was pretty large and peaceable.peaceable.
After it we went to Alban’s, where we visited Friends;
261and next day passing through South Mims and Barnet,
where also we visited Friends, we came that night to widow
Hayley’s at Gutterhedge in Hendon in Middlesex.
Next day, being First-day, we had a very large meeting there,
several Friends coming from London. I stayed there Second-day,
and on third went to William Mead’s house at Highgate,
with whom next day I went to London. It being
Fourth day, I went to the meeting at Gracechurch Street,
where Friends and I were greatly refreshed in each other in
the Lord, and the Lord’s power and Seed were set over all,
blessed be his name for ever!
Thus it pleased the Lord to bring me safe to London,
though much wearied, for though I rode not very far in a
day, yet through weakness of body, continual travelling was
hard to me. Besides, I had not much rest at night to refresh
nature; for I often sat up late with Friends, where I lodged,
to inform and advise them in things wherein they were
262wanting; and when in bed, I was often hindered of sleep by
great pains in my head and teeth, occasioned, as I thought,
from cold taken by riding often in the rain. But the Lord’s
power was over all, and carried me through all, to his praise.
In my journey I observed a slackness and shortness in
some that professed the truth, in keeping up the ancient testimony
against tithes; for wherever that spirit got entrance,
which wrought division in the church, and opposed the men’s
and women’s meetings, it weakened those that received it in
their testimony against tithes. Wherefore I was moved of
the Lord to issue a short “Epistle to Friends,” to stir up the
pure mind, and to encourage and strengthen them in their
Christian testimony against that antichristian yoke and
oppression:—
“My Dear Friends,
“Be faithful to the Lord in your testimony for Jesus,
who ended the Levitical priesthood of Aaron, that took tithes,
and sent his ministers forth freely, to give freely that which
they had received of him freely, without a bag or a staff.
Christ’s disciples could not join with those that made a trade of
preaching. And as there was a testimony to be borne against
those tithes which were commanded, in the law, for Levi
and Aaron, so there is a testimony to be borne against these
tithes, which have been set up by man, in the dark time of
Popery, and not by God or Christ. Now to cry against the
priests in words, and yet to give them means, and put into
their mouths, that they may not prepare war against you, is
a contradiction. Therefore take heed; for if the Lord bless
you with outward creatures, and you bestow them upon
Baal’s priests, he may justly require the outward things
from you again, which he hath given you: who saith, that
his ministers should freely give, as they have freely received.
So all the preachers for tithes and money, and the takers
and payers of tithe, must be testified against in the Lord’s
power and Spirit; that all may stand up in their testimony
for Jesus Christ, in his power and Spirit, against the tithe-mongers.
Consider how many faithful servants and valiants
of the Lord, have laid down their lives against them, in this
day of the Lord; and in the days of the martyrs they did
witness against them. Consider also what judgments have
come upon those that spoiled Friends’ goods, and cast them
into prison for tithes and maintenance. Therefore in the
263power of the Lord, maintain the war against the beast, and
do not put into his mouth, lest he cry peace to you; which
peace you must not receive; but it must be broken, and
thrown out by the Spirit of God. Then in the same Spirit,
ye will receive from the Son of Peace, that peace which the
beast, and the whore, and the world, with all their earthly
teachers for the earth, made by man, cannot receive, nor
bereave you of. Therefore keep your authority and dominion
in the power, Spirit, and name of Jesus, in whom my love
is to you.”
G. F.
3rd Month, 1677.
I came to London on the 23rd of the 3rd month, ten or
twelve days before the Yearly Meeting, in which time I fell
in with Friends there in the service of truth, visiting them
at the meetings. The parliament then sitting, we prepared
something to lay before them, concerning the seizing of the
third part of Friends’ estates, as Popish recusants, which was
a great suffering, and a grievance we complained of; but we
obtained no redress.
To the Yearly Meeting many Friends came from most
parts of the nation; and some out of Scotland, Holland, &c.,
and very glorious meetings we had, wherein the Lord’s
powerful presence was very largely felt; and the affairs of
truth were sweetly carried on in the unity of the Spirit, to
the satisfaction and comfort of the upright-hearted; blessed
be the Lord for ever! After the Yearly Meeting, having
stayed a week or two with Friends in London, I went down
with William Penn[42] to his house in Sussex; John Burnyeat
264and some other Friends being with us. As we passed
through Surrey, hearing the quarterly meeting was that
day, William Penn, John Burnyeat, and I, went from the
road to it; and after the meeting returning to our other company,
went with them to William Penn’s that night; which
is forty miles from London. I stayed at Worminghurst
about three weeks; in which time John Burnyeat and I
answered a very envious and wicked book, which Roger
Williams, a priest of New England (or some colony thereabout)
had written against truth and Friends. When we
had finished that service, we went with Stephen Smith to his
house at Worplesdon in Surrey, 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.
Thence we went to Kingston, and so to London, where
I stayed not long; for it was upon me from the Lord to go
into Holland, to visit Friends and to preach the gospel there,
and in some parts of Germany. Wherefore setting things in
265order for my journey as fast as I could, I took leave of
Friends at London; and with several other Friends went
down to Colchester, in order to my passage for Holland.
Next day, being First-day, I was at the public meeting of
Friends there, which was very large and peaceable. In the
evening I had another large one, but not so public, at John
Furly’s house, where I lodged. The day following, I was at
the women’s meeting there, which also was very large.
Thence next day we passed to Harwich, where Robert
Duncan, 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 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 overcoming, refreshing
power, opened many mouths to declare his everlasting
truth, and to praise and glorify him.
CHAPTER VIII.
266
1677.—George Fox sails for Holland, with several other Friends, and
lands at Briel—attends the Quarterly Meeting at Amsterdam—writes
an epistle to Friends against the spirit of separation—writes to the
Princess Elizabeth—her answer—a monthly meeting is established
at Frederickstadt—Friends are imprisoned and banished from
Embden, and suffer greatly—a Monthly Meeting settled at Harlingen—a
priest assents to the doctrine promulgated by George Fox—he
is questioned for it by his hearers—George Fox writes an epistle to
Friends respecting the seducing spirit—he writes an epistle of encouragement
to Friends under suffering at Dantzic—and again to
Friends respecting the spirit of separation—spends considerable time
at Amsterdam in writing on Truth’s account—a warning to the magistrates
and people of Oldenburg—an epistle concerning fasts, prayers,
honour, persecution, true liberty, and the observance of days and
times—a warning to the magistrates, priests, and people of Hamburg—to
the ambassadors met to effect a treaty of peace in the city of
Nimeguen—completes his travels in Holland—writes a book addressed
to the Jews.
After the meeting at Harwich we returned to John Vandewall’s,
where I had lodged; and when the boat was ready,
taking leave of Friends, we that were bound for Holland,
went on board about nine in the evening, on the 25th of the
5th Month, 1677. The Friends that went over with me, were
William Penn, Robert Barclay, George Keith and his wife,
John Furly and his brother, William Tallcoat, George Watts,
and Isabel Yeomans, one of my wife’s daughters.
About one in the morning we weighed anchor, having a
fair brisk wind, which by next morning brought us within
sight of Holland. But that day proving very clear and calm
we got forward little, till about four 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
267two of the boatmen to let down a small boat that belonged to
the packet, and row them to shore; but before they could
reach it the gates were shut; and there being no house without
the gates, they lay in a fisherman’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,
where the Friends received us with great gladness.
We stayed about two hours to refresh ourselves, and
then took boat, with the Holland Friends, for Rotterdam,
where we arrived about eleven that day, the 28th of the
Month. I was very well this voyage, but some of the Friends
were sea-sick. A fine passage we had, and all came safe and
well to land; blessed and praised be the name of the Lord
for ever!
Next day, being First-day, we had two meetings at
Benjamin Furly’s, where many of the town’s-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. The day following, William Penn and I, with other
Friends, went towards Amsterdam with some Friends of that
city, who came to Rotterdam to conduct us thither. We took
boat in the afternoon, and, passing by Overkirk, came to
Delft, through which we walked on foot; and then took
boat again to Leyden, where we lodged that night at an inn.
This is six Dutch miles from Rotterdam, which are eighteen
English miles, and five hours’ sailing or travelling; for our
boat was drawn by a horse that went on the shore. Next
day taking boat again, we went to Haarlem, fourteen miles
from Leyden, where we had appointed a meeting, which
proved very large; for many of the townspeople came in,
and two of their preachers. The Lord gave us a blessed opportunity,
not only with respect to Friends, but to other
268sober people, and the meeting ended peaceably and well.
After it we passed to Amsterdam, accompanied by several
Friends of that city and of Alkmaar.
Next day was the quarterly meeting at Amsterdam, to
which came Friends from Haarlem and Rotterdam, and with
them those of our company, whom we had left at Rotterdam,
viz.: Robert Barclay, George Keith and his wife, &c. The
meeting was at Gertrude Dirick Nieson’s house. A very
large and serviceable one it was; for both William Penn and I
were drawn to open many things concerning the order of the
gospel, and to show 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 public, 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 hearkened 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 were settled
several meetings; to wit, monthly, quarterly, and a yearly
meeting, to be held at Amsterdam for Friends in all the
United Provinces of Holland, and in Embden, the Palatinate,
Hamburg, Frederickstadt, Dantzic, and other places in and
about Germany; which Friends were glad of, and it has been
of great service to truth.
Next day an exercise came upon me concerning that
deceitful spirit, which wrought in some to make divisions in
the church; and the care of the churches being upon me, I
was moved to write a few lines to warn Friends of it, as
follows:—
“All Friends, keep over that spirit of separation and
division, in the peaceable truth, and in the Seed of life, which
will wear it all out and outlast it. For the Lamb will have
the victory over all the spirits of strife, as it hath had since
the beginning; and they will wither, as others have done;
but all that keep in the Seed, which is always green, shall
269never wither; as Friends have been to this day kept. And
if any have backslidden, and thrown off the cross, are grown
loose and full, and are gone into strife and contention with
their earthly spirits, and therein plead for a liberty, this
spirit taketh with loose, earthly spirits, and cries imposition
to such as admonish them to come to the life, light, Spirit,
and power of God, that they may be alive, and may live
again with the living. Upon this admonition, their spirits
rise into contention, strife, and separation, turning against
the living, in their loose, earthly spirits, which would have
the name of truth, but are not in the nature of it, but are for
eternal judgment of the living Seed. This is it which doth
deceive; but it is judged by that which doth undeceive and
save.”
G.F.
Amsterdam in Holland, the 5th of the 6th Month, 1677.
This being First-day, we had a very large meeting again,
there coming to it a great concourse of people of different
opinions, as Baptists, Seekers, Socinians, Brownists, and
some of the collegians. Robert Barclay, George Keith,
William Penn, and I, declared the everlasting truth among
them; opening the state of man in the fall, and showing by
what way man and woman may come into the restoration by
Christ Jesus. Indeed, the mystery of iniquity, and the mystery
of godliness, were very plainly laid open; and the
meeting ended quietly and well.
The day following, George Keith, Robert Barclay, and
William Penn, leaving me and some other Friends at Amsterdam,
set forward towards Germany; where they
travelled many hundred miles, and had good service for the
Lord; Benjamin Furly going with them and interpreting.
That day and the next I stayed at Amsterdam, visiting
Friends, and assisting them in some business concerning
their meetings. Three Baptists came to discourse with me,
to whom I opened things to their satisfaction, and they
parted from me in kindness. I wrote a letter also to the
Princess Elizabeth, which Isabel Yeomans delivered to her,
when George Keith’s wife and she went to visit her:—
270
“Princess Elizabeth,
“I have heard of thy tenderness towards the Lord and his
holy truth, by some Friends that have visited thee, and also
by some of thy letters, which I have seen. It is indeed a
great thing for a person of thy quality to have such a tender
mind after the Lord and his precious truth, seeing so many
are swallowed up with voluptuousness, and the pleasures of
this world; yet all make an outward profession of God and
Christ one way or other, but without any deep, inward sense
and feeling of him. For it is not many mighty, nor wise of
the world, that can become fools for Christ’s sake, or can become
low in the humility of Christ Jesus from their mighty
state, through which they might receive a mightier estate,
and a mightier kingdom through the inward Holy Spirit—the
divine light and power of God; and a mightier wisdom
which is from above, pure and peaceable. This wisdom is
above that which is below; that is earthly, sensual, and
devilish, by which men destroy one another, yea, about their
religions, ways, worships, and churches; but this they have not
from God nor Christ. The wisdom which is from above, by
which all things were made and created, which the holy fear
of God in the heart is the beginning of, keeps the heart clean:
and by this wisdom are all God’s children to be ordered, and
with it to order all things to God’s glory. This is the wisdom
that is justified of her children. In this fear of God and this
wisdom, my desire is, that thou mayest be preserved to God’s
glory. For the Lord is come to teach his people himself, and
to set up his ensign, that the nations may flow unto it.
“There hath been an apostacy since the apostles’ days,
from the divine light of Christ, which should have given
them ‘the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the
face of Christ Jesus;’ and from the Holy Spirit, which
would have led them into all truth; and therefore have
people set up so many leaders without them, to give them
knowledge; and also from the holy and precious faith,
which Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of; which
purifies the heart, and gives victory over that which separates
from God; through which faith they have access to God, and
in which they please God; the mystery of which is held in a
pure conscience. And also from the gospel which was
preached in the apostles’ days (which gospel is the power of
God,) which brings life and immortality to light in man and
woman, by which people should have seen over the devil
that has darkened them; which gospel will preserve all them
that receive it, in life and immortality. For the eyes of
people have been after men, and not after the Lord, who
writes his law in the hearts, and puts it into the minds of all
271the children of the new covenant of light, life, and grace,
through which they all come to know the Lord, from the
least to the greatest; so that the knowledge of the Lord may
cover the earth, as the waters do the sea.
“This work of the Lord is beginning again, as it was in
the apostles’ days. People shall come to receive an unction in
them again from the Holy One, by which they shall know all
things, and shall need not any man to teach them, but as the
anointing doth teach them; and also to know what the
righteousness of faith speaks, the Word nigh in the heart
and mouth, to obey it and to do it. This was the Word of
faith the apostles preached; which is now received and
preached again, and which it is the duty of all true Christians
to receive. Now people are coming out of the apostacy to
the light of Christ and his Spirit, and to receive faith from
him, and not from men; to receive the gospel from him
their unction from him, the Word; and as they receive
him, they declare him freely, as his command was to his
disciples, and is still to the learners and receivers of him.
“For the Lord God and his Son Jesus Christ, is
come to teach his people, and to bring them from all the
world’s ways, to Christ, the way, the truth, and the
life, who is the way to the Father; and from all the
world’s teachers and speakers, to him the Speaker and
Teacher, as Heb. i. 1.; and from all the world’s 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;
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; to bring
them out of all the world’s churches and fellowships, made
and set up since the apostles’ days, to the church that is in
God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; (Thess. i. 1,) and
to bring to the unity and fellowship in the Holy Spirit, that
doth mortify, circumcise, and baptize, to plunge down sin
and corruption, that has got up in man and woman by transgression.
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 the Lord of lords’ peace; which heavenly
peace all true Christians are to maintain with spiritual
weapons, not with carnal.
“And now, my friend, the holy men of God wrote the
Scriptures as they were moved by the Holy Ghost; and all
272Christendom are on heaps about those Scriptures, because
they are not led by the same Holy Ghost as those 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, of Christ, and of them.
For none can call Jesus Lord, but by the Holy Ghost; and
all that call Christ Lord without the Holy Ghost, take his
name in vain. Likewise all that name his name are to depart
from iniquity; then they name his name with reverence,
in truth and righteousness.
“O therefore, feel the grace and truth in thy heart, that
is come by Jesus Christ, that will teach thee how to live, and
what to deny. It will establish thy heart, season thy words,
and bring thy salvation; it will be a teacher unto thee at all
times. By it thou mayest receive Christ from whom 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, a world, and kingdom, without end,
and of the eternal riches and treasures thereof. So in haste, with
my love in the Lord Jesus Christ, who tasted death for every
man, and bruises the serpent’s head, who is between man and
God, that through Christ man may come to God again,
and praise him 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.”
George Fox.
Amsterdam, the 7th of the 6th Month, 1677.
“PostscriptPostscript.—The bearer hereof is a daughter-in-law of
mine, that comes with Gertrude Dirick Nieson and George
Keith’s wife, to visit thee.”
G.F.
The Princess Elizabeth’s answer.
“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 your loving friend,
273Next day John Claus and I took a boat and passed to
Buyckslote, thence to Purmerend, where having refreshed
ourselves, we went by waggon to Alkmaar, about
thirty miles from Amsterdam. We went to a Friend’s house
there, whose name was William Williams, where I had a
meeting that night. I had another next day, which was
larger; for several professors came, and all was quiet and
well. After the meeting, I visited some Friends; and then,
taking boat, passed to Hoorn, which is counted the chief
city in North Holland. We lodged at an inn; and, taking
waggon early next morning, passed to Enckhuysen, where
we took ship for Friesland; and landing in the afternoon
at Workum, took waggon and rode upon the high bank of the
Friezen Seas, till we met two Friends coming with a waggon
to meet us; with whom (discharging our waggon at Mackum,
a village hard by,) we went to Harlingen, the chief seaport
274town in Friesland. We went to Hessel Jacobs’, whither
several Friends came to visit us that night. Next day we
visited the Friends of the place; and I wrote a paper, “To all
them that persecute Friends for not observing their fast-day.”
The day following being First-day, 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. They were all very civil, and heard
attentively; and when it was done, departed peaceably,
without making any opposition. After meeting I went
to Hessel Jacobs’ 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, who 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 Leeuwarden, the chief city in Friesland,
275and lodged that night at a Friend’s house there, whose name
was Sybrand Dowes.
Next morning early, taking boat, we passed to Dockum,
and walking through the city, took boat again to Strobus,
which is the utmost part of Friesland. There we baited at a
commissary’s house; and then taking boat again, passed to
Groningen, the chief city of the province of Groningland.
One of the magistrates of that city came with us from Leeuwarden,
with whom I had some discourse on the way, and
he was very loving. We walked nearly two miles through
the city, and then took boat for Delfziel; and passing in the
evening 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 spoke to them, exhorting them to “fear
the Lord, and beware of Solomon’s vanities.” They were
boisterous fellows; yet somewhat more civil afterwards.
We landed at Delfziel about ten at night, having travelled
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 soldier; and when
he had told them I was not, they let us pass peaceably.
Delfziel stands on the river Ems, over which we
passed next day to Embden, a place where Friends had been
cruelly persecuted, and from which they had been often
banished. I went to an inn, where I dined with some
men that understood English, with whom I had a fine time,
and they were loving. Meanwhile John Claus went with
his wife to her father’s, 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 waggon, which he
had hired, was to meet us; and while we waited for it, the
Friends that were in the city came to the house where we
were, and we had a little meeting. When it was over, and
the waggon came not, we sent to know the reason. The
276master of it sent us word, that he durst not let it go; for the
bishop of Munster’s soldiers 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’s father-in-law’s
house, where I left him, and went to my inn at
night.
We took shipping next day, and passed about fifteen
miles upon the river Ems, to a market-town in East-Friesland,
called Leer, where lived a Friend that had been banished
from Embden. When we had visited him, we hired a
waggon in that town, and passed to a garrisoned town, called
Strikehuysen, where the guards examined us; and then
went on to Deteren, where, hiring another waggon, we
passed to another garrisoned town, where we were very
strictly examined. Thence we passed to Apen, where we
lodged that night. In our travelling this day, we met
the Earl of Oldenburg, going to the treaty of peace at
Lembachie.
Next day, we passed by waggon to Oldenburg, lately
a great and famous place, but then burnt down, and but few
houses left standing in it. At this place we hired another
waggon, and went to Delmenhorst; where, after we had
been examined by the guards, we went to a burgher-master’s
to lodge, whose house was an inn. There being many people
I declared the way of truth to him and them, warning them
of the day of the Lord that was coming upon all evil-doers.
We passed next day by waggon to Bremen, a stately
city in Germany; and thence, after a double examination,
we went to a water called Overdeland, and there took boat
to Fisherholder; where, finding many people together, I
declared the way of God to them, and exhorted them to fear
the Lord. There we took waggon again, and travelled in
the bishop of Munster’s country to Closterseven; and,
having no inclination to stay there, got fresh horses, intending
to travel all night. We went a little way, but it quickly
grew so dark, and rained so hard, that we thought it best to
277turn back again; for our waggon being open, we had no defence
against the rain, and our clothes were already wet with what
had fallen for several days before. So we went to an inn,
and got a little fresh straw, upon which we lay till about
break of day; and then set out and travelled to Buxtehude.
The people in the bishop of Munster’s country were
very dark. 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 a First-day that we went through Buxtehude;
and without the walls there was a great fair of sheep and
geese that day. We stayed a little to refresh ourselves,
and went on as fast as we could to Hamburg, partly by
waggon, and partly by water. We reached the city in time
enough to get a meeting there that evening; and a good and
glorious one 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 Hamburg was a woman that had spoken against me
in John Perrott’s time, though she had never seen me till
now. 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 as readily and freely forgave her.
We stayed that night at Hamburg, encouraging and
strengthening the Friends there in their testimony to the truth;
and betimes next morning set forward towards Frederickstadt,
two long days’ journey from Hamburg. We went the first
day to Elmshorn, where we baited; and then rode on through
a garrison-town of the king of Denmark’s; and passing by
the monument of the Earl of Rantzow, came to the city of
Itzehoe, where we lodged that night. 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
278we travelled to Hoghenhorn, where we dined at an
inn with one of the council of Frederickstadt; to whom, and
to the rest of the people 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 Frederickstadt, to William Paul’s, where several
Friends came to us, for there is a pretty company of Friends
in that city. We had a fine refreshing meeting together
that evening, which made us forget our weariness; for we
were indeed very weary, having travelled hard two days, and
being wet through our clothes, having had much rain in our
open waggons. But the Lord made all easy 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 Holstein’s country, who would
have banished Friends out of the city and country, and sent
to the magistrates of the city to do it; but they said, they
would lay down their offices rather than do it; inasmuch as
Friends came to that city to enjoy liberty of conscience.
Friends still enjoy their liberty there, and truth and they
are of good report amongst the people, both in city and
country.
On First-day 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, and
there I discoursed with another Jew, who showed 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; 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
279his 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 looking after the poor, and
taking care that marriages, and all other things relating to
the church, were performed in an orderly manner. The
thing answered the witness of God in their consciences, so
that they readily agreed to have monthly meetings thence-forward
among themselves, that both men and women might
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 turned back again for Hamburg. When we had
travelled one day’s journey, and were come to an inn at
night to lodge, I enquired whether there were any tender
people in the town that feared God, or that had a mind
to discourse of the things of God? The innkeeper told me
there were few such in that town. Next night we got to
Hamburg; and having passed the guards, went to a Friend’s
house, being very weary; for we had been up those two
mornings before three o’clock, 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 about two weeks. Hearing I was in the
country, he left the ship and came hither to meet me, and go
along with me.
The day after we came to Hamburg we had a very good
meeting, and very peaceable. After it I had discourse with
a Swede, an eminent man in his own country; who, having
been banished thence on the account of his religion, was
come to Hamburg, and was at the meeting I had there
before. When I had done with him, I had another discourse
with a Baptist concerning the sacraments, so called; in both
which I had good service, having opportunity thereby to
open truth unto them.
280Being clear of Hamburg, we took leave of Friends there,
whom we left well; and taking John Hill with us, passed
by boat to a city in the Duke of Luneberg’s 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 we were not soldiers, they were civil, and let us
pass. In the afternoon we travelled by waggon, and the
waters being much out, by reason of heavy rains, when it
drew towards night, we hired a boy on the way to guide us
through a great water we had to pass. When we came to it,
the water was so deep before we could come at the bridge,
that the waggoner had to wade, and I drove the waggon.
When we were come on the bridge, the horses broke part of
it down, and one of them fell into the water, the waggon
standing upon that part of the bridge which remained unbroken;
and it was the Lord’s mercy to us that the waggon
did not run into the brook. When they had got the horse
out, he lay a while as if dead; but at length they got him
up, put him to the waggon again, and laid the planks right;
and then, through the goodness of the Lord to us, we got
safely 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, who put cords to the waggon to hold it by,
that the force of the water might not drive it from the way.
But when we came into it, the stream was so strong, that it
took one of the horses off his legs, and was carrying him
down the stream. I called to the waggoner to pluck him to
him by his reins, which he did, and the horse recovered his
legs, and with much difficulty we got over the bridge, and
went to Bormer-haven, the town where the waggoner lived.
It was the last day of the 6th month that we escaped these
dangers; and it being about eleven at night when we came
in here, we got some fresh straw and lay upon it, till about
four in the morning. Then getting up, we set forward again
towards Bremen, by waggon and boat. On the way I had
281good opportunities to publish truth among the people,
especially at a market-town, where we stayed 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, 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, after we were examined, we went to an
inn, and stayed till another waggon was provided to carry us
further. 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 people’s sake. When our
waggon was ready, we left Bremen and travelled to Keby,
where we lodged at an inn, and early next morning set out
for Oldenburg. It was a lamentable sight to see so great
and brave a city burnt down. We went to an inn, and
though it was First-day, the soldiers were drinking, and
playing at shovel-board; and at the few houses that were
left, the shops were open, and the people trading one with
another. I was moved to declare the truth among them, and
warn them of the judgments of God; and though they heard
me quietly, and were civil, yet I was burdened with their
wickedness. Many times in mornings, noons, and nights, at
the inns and on the ways as I travelled, I spoke to the people,
preaching the truth to them, 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, and the day following to Embden, where
John Claus’s wife’s father lived; at whose house, when we
went into Germany, we left a young man sick, who travelled
with me, and used to write for me; whom now we found
pretty well recovered. John Claus went to his father-in-law’s;
John Hill and I to an inn, where we dined. After dinner
282we went also to John Claus’s father’s, and had a good meeting
there in the evening.
The day following we took shipping at Embden, passed
to Delfziel, and went to an inn, where a Friend came
to us that then lived there, having been often banished from
Embden; he was a goldsmith, and had a 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 anything 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.
When we had taken leave of him, 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 next day had a good meeting in that city, to which
several professors came, who were very peaceable and attentive.
After meeting we passed by boat to Strobus, and so
to Dockum, where we lodged at an inn. Taking boat again
next morning we passed to Leeuwarden, the chief city of
Friesland, where I found my daughter Yeomans, who was
come from Amsterdam to meet me. That day we had a
precious meeting at Sybrand Dowes’s house. After the
meeting I had discourse with some that were at it, 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 down the river to the lake of
Hempen-Sarmer, and thence by the lake Lugmer, and so
to a town called Anderigo; whence sailing through the
lake Whispool, we came to Gardick within night. We
lodged at an inn; and next day being First-day, we were at
Friends’ meeting there, which was very large, many of the
283town’s-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. After it we
stayed a little while to refresh ourselves, and then went to
take boat again; but the people observing us, gathered together
at a bridge, which we were to pass; and there I spoke
unto them again, declaring the way of life and salvation;
and they were very attentive and civil.
We went back that evening to Leeuwarden, twenty-seven
miles; but before we could reach it, the gates were
shut, and the bridges drawn up, so that we could not get into
the city, but lay in the boat all night. 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 stayed a while; then
taking boat again, we passed through Franeker to Harlingen,
to Hessel Jacobs’s, 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 having returned two or three days before out of Germany,
had been at a large meeting at Amsterdam on First-day; and
after it, understanding I was at Harlingen, he came thither
to me.
The next day was the monthly meeting for the men and
women, to which we went; it was large and good. And
there it was agreed, that “a meeting should be 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 public meeting, to which
came people of several sorts, Socinians, Baptists, Lutherans,
&c., amongst whom were a doctor of physic and a priest.
After I had declared the truth pretty largely to the people,
opening the happy state 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 woe and misery that
came upon them when they went from God’s teaching,
284hearkening to the Serpent’s—when they transgressed God’s
command, and were driven out of Paradise; and then came
to set forth the way, whereby man and woman might come
into that happy state again—the priest, an ancient, grave man,
stood up, just as I had done speaking, and putting off his
hat, said, “I pray God to prosper and confirm that doctrine,
for it is truth, and I have nothing against it.” He would
willingly have stayed till the meeting ended, but having to
preach that evening, he could not stay longer, the time for his
own worship being come. Wherefore when he had made confession
to the truth, he hastened away, that he might come
again; and did come, it seems, to the meeting-place, but the
meeting was ended first. After meeting we went to Hessel
Jacobs’s, where I had a meeting with Friends, and the doctor
of physic came thither to discourse with William Penn, who
had a good opportunity to open the truth to him. By this
doctor the priest sent his love to me, wishing him to tell me,
that he had left preaching that evening half an hour sooner
than he used to do, that he might come to our meeting again,
to hear more of that good doctrine. I heard afterwards that
his hearers questioned him, for what he had said in our meeting;
and that, he standing by his words, they had complained
of him for it to the other priests of the city, who called him
to account about it; but the result I could not learn.
Early next morning William Penn, taking John Claus
with him, passed from Harlingen to Leeuwarden, where he
had appointed a meeting; intending after that, to travel into
some other parts of Germany, to visit a tender people there.
I with those Friends that were with me, took ship the same
day for Amsterdam, where we arrived a little after midnight,
but the gates being shut, we lay on board till morning;
then went to Gertrude Dirick Nieson’s, where many Friends
came to see us, being glad of our safe return. Next day,
feeling a concern upon my mind, with relation to those seducing
spirits that made division among Friends, and being
sensible that they endeavoured to insinuate themselves into
285the affectionate part, I was moved to write a few lines to
Friends concerning them, as follows:—
“All these that set up themselves in the affections of
the people, set up themselves, and the affections of the people,
and not Christ. But Friends, your peaceable habitation in the
truth, which is everlasting, and changes not, will outlast all
the habitations of those that are out of the truth, be they ever
so full of words. So they that are so keen for J.S. and J.W.
let them take them, and the separation; and you, that have
given your testimony against that spirit, stand in your testimony,
till they answer by condemnation. Do not strive, nor
make bargains with that which is out of the truth; nor save
that alive to be a sacrifice for God, which should be slain,
lest you lose your kingdom.”
G. F.
Amsterdam, the 14th of the 7th Month, 1677.
On the First-day following, I was at Friends’ meeting
at Amsterdam, to which many people came, and were very
civil and attentive, hearing truth declared several hours.
John Roeloffs interpreted for me. Before this time, several
of the Friends that came over with me, were returned to
England, as Robert Barclay,[44] George Keith’s wife, and others;
and now my daughter Yeomans went back also; so that I
was left alone at Amsterdam.
While I was there, it came upon me to visit my suffering
286Friends at Dantzic with a few lines, to encourage and
strengthen them in their sufferings, as follows:—
“To whom is my love in the Lord’s truth, that is over
all, and by which all God’s people are made free men and
women, being thereby set free from him that is out of the
truth; that walking in the truth, they may answer the
witness of God in all people; which truth all must
come to if they be made free. Therefore be faithful
unto what the Lord makes known unto you. I am
glad the Lord hath witnesses in that city, to stand for his
glory and name, and for Christ Jesus, the great Prophet,
whom God hath raised up, who is to be heard in all things;
so that ye need none of the prophets, which men have raised
up. Therefore, stand faithful to Christ Jesus, your Shepherd,
that he may feed you; hear his voice, and follow him, who
laid down his life for you: but follow none of the shepherds
and hirelings, that are made by men, though they be angry,
because you will not follow them to their dry and barren
mountains; who have been, and are the thieves, persecutors,
and robbers, that climb up another way, than by Christ. Set
up Christ to be your Counsellor and Leader, and then, ye
will have no need of any of the counsellors and leaders of the
world; for Christ is sufficient, whom God has given you. Set
up Christ Jesus to be your Bishop and Overseer, who is sufficient
to oversee you, that ye go not astray from God; by which ye
may see over all the hireling-overseers made by men, who
keep the people that they do not go astray from the rudiments
and formalities, fashions and customs of the world; which
hath been and is their work. I am glad ye are come to own
287Christ Jesus, your High Priest, who is holy, harmless,
separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens, as
the church and the apostle owned him in their days, Heb.
vii., who is the High-Priest over the household of faith;
which faith, Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of: and
this do all the children of the new covenant witness, who
walk in the new and living way.
“Therefore my desire is, that ye all may be steadfast,
whether in bonds or out, in the faith of Christ Jesus, which
is the gift of God; by which faith all the valiants overcame
the devil and all their enemies; in which faith they had
victory and access to God; and in that was their unity: which
mystery of faith is held in a pure conscience, hidden from
the world. I do believe that your imprisonments and
sufferings in that place will be for good in the end, as it hath
been in other places, ye standing faithful to the Lord who is
all-sufficient. For your sufferings and trials will try their
teachers and religions, churches and worships, and make
manifest what birth they are of; even that which persecutes
him that is born of the Spirit: for ye know that there is no
salvation by any other name under the whole heaven, than by
the name of Jesus; therefore it is time to leave them, when
there is no salvation by or in any of them.
“Now, Friends, I desire that you would take a list of
the names of all those that belong to the king of Poland, and
where they live, and how ye may send books or epistles to
them, and keep a correspondence with them: also the name
of the bishop or cardinal that I heard was with you; and if
ye can, get any of them that belong to the king to come and
visit the prisoners, that they may inform the king of their
cruel sufferings. Also I desire you to get as many books of
mine as you can dispose of, that set forth your sufferings,
and the cruelty of the magistrates of Dantzic; and give them
to the king, his council, attendants, and bishops. And some
of the women may speak to the queen, if they can, that she
may signify to the king their cruel sufferings; and especially
some of the sufferers’ wives, if there be any of a capacity to
do it. You may likewise give his attendants any other Friends’
books; what books ye lack, send for to Amsterdam, where
ye may be furnished with them, to answer every tender desirer,
and inquiring mind after the Lord. So let your minds
be bended with the Lord’s power, to spread his truth
abroad; and where ye hear of any, or have any correspondence
in outward trading with any sober people, far or
near, send them books, that their understandings may be
opened after the Lord.
“The Lord God Almighty preserve you! To his protection,
288in his eternal power, do I commend you all, in bonds
or at liberty, with my love to you in the everlasting Seed of
God, Christ Jesus, who bruises the head of the serpent that
makes you suffer. Christ is over him, and will be when he
is gone; who is First and Last, over all, from everlasting to
everlasting, in whom ye have life, knowledge, wisdom, and
salvation; and through him live to the praise and glory of
God, who is blessed for evermore. Amen.”
G.F.
Amsterdam, the 18th of the 7th Month, 1677, English style.style.
Next day, the fourth of the week and 19th of the month,
I had a large meeting at Amsterdam, many professors being
at it; and truth was largely opened to them, in the demonstration
of the heavenly power. The day following I went
by boat from Amsterdam, many Friends going with me, to
Landsmeer in Waterland (a town in which, they say, there
are above a hundred bridges,) where I had a very good meeting,
to which several professors came. After it I returned
with Friends to Amsterdam, where I stayed till the First-day
following, and went to their meeting, which was large.
Many professors of several sorts were at it, and heard the
truth declared with great attention.
I tarried there next day, and in the night following had
a great exercise upon my spirit concerning that loose spirit,
that was run out into strife and contention among Friends,
and had drawn some after it into division and separation; the
way, work, and end whereof the Lord opened to me: wherefore
feeling the motion of life upon me, I got up in the morning
and wrote the following epistle to Friends:—
“My Dear Friends,
“Keep your first love in the truth, power, and Seed of
life in Christ Jesus; for this last night, as I was lying in my
bed at Amsterdam, I had a great travail in the holy Seed of
life and peace, and my spirit was troubled with that spirit
of strife and separation. I saw it was a destroying spirit,
and did seek not only to get over the Seed, but to destroy it,
and to eat out the minds of people from it by strife and contention;
and, under pretence of standing for the ancient
truth, its work is to root it out, and destroy the appearance
of it, to set up itself. It is a creeping spirit, seeking whom
289it can get into; and what it cannot do itself, it stirreth up
others to do, and setteth their spirit afloat, with the dark
wisdom to destroy the simple. This spirit is managed by the
prince of the air, and leadeth some to do things which they
would have been ashamed to have done as men, which doth
unman them; and they would not have suffered them if
they had kept to the tender principle of God, which leadeth
to peace. It is a despising, backbiting, secret-whispering
spirit, a sower of dissension, and a taker of advantage of all
prejudiced spirits, that are disobedient to their first principle,
and love of truth, and begetteth into hatred; so it begetteth
all into that spirit, whose work is to destroy both the
good within, and the good order without. Nay, it would, if it
could, destroy the government of Christ, and the order of the
gospel, to set up its own will and spirit, which is not of God;
and, under pretence of crying down man, is setting up
man, and gathering into a separation of disobedient men,
who float above their conditions. This spirit which neither
liveth in the truth nor its order, but opposeth them that do,
I cannot express it, as I see it and its work, whose end will
be accordingly.
“Therefore, Friends, I am to warn you all, that have not
lost your simplicity, not to touch it, nor to have any unity
with it, lest you be defiled, and lose your conditions of your
eternal estate and everlasting portion; and that your inward
man, which is after God, may be preserved, and Christ may
reign in all your hearts. It will be very hard for those that
are joined with them, ever to come down to truth in themselves,
to see their own conditions, and to have that spirit of
strife and contention (which eateth as a canker) brought
down in them; which is carnal and slayeth the tender babe,
which was once begotten in themselves. The Philistine is
got up in them, that stoppeth the wells and springs, maketh
a great bustle, and is crying up men, and pleading for them
instead of Christ. So, Friends, strive not with them, but let
those take them that cry them up. Keep you to the Lord
Jesus Christ with his light, that cometh from him, that he may
be your Lord; and ye in him may be all in unity, in one
light, life, power, and dominion, in Christ, your head. The
God of peace and power preserve you all in Christ Jesus,
your Saviour; and out of and from that mischievous spirit,
which is idle and slothful as to the work of the power, and
Spirit, and light of God and Christ. Its very act worketh
strife and disturbance against the peace of the church of
Christ. It thinks in its wilfulness, stubbornness, and unruliness,
to set up itself, and in that to have peace; but destruction
will be the end of it, and it is sealed for the fire
290and eternal judgment. Therefore, let Christ, the Seed, be
the head and crown of every one of you, that nothing may
be between you and the Lord God.
Be not deceived with vain, feigned, or rough words;
for Satan is transforming himself, as an angel of light, to deceive;
but God’s foundation standeth sure, and God knoweth
who are his, and will preserve them upon the rock and
foundation of life, in his peaceable truth and habitation, that
in the same they may grow. Keep out of strife and contention
with it, after ye have borne your testimony in the
Lord’s power and truth against it, then keep in the truth; for it
hath a life in scribbling, strife and jangling, and would bring
others into its misery with the airy power, and would get power
over the good, disjoin people from it, and so commit rapes
upon the simplicity by its subtilty. But I do believe the Lord
will defend his people, though he may try them and exercise
them with this spirit for a time, as he hath done in days
past, in other vessels it hath made use of, as it doth of these
now; who have a more seeming fair outside, but foul,
rough, and rugged enough within, against the Seed, Christ, as
ever were the Pharisees to destroy it. They, under a
pretence of preaching Christ, are destroyers and crucifiers of
him, and killers of the just, not only in themselves, but are
endeavouring with all their might, to destroy it in others,
where it is born. Pharaoh and Herod slay the young Jews
in the Spirit, as the old did; I feel it worrying them. That
is got up to be king which knew not suffering Joseph. But
God will plague him, and the Seed will have more rest,
and be better entertained in Egypt, than under Herod, into
whom old Pharaoh’s spirit is entered.
“He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear: and an eye
to see, let him see, how this spirit hath transformed in all
ages against the just and righteous; but mark, what hath
been its end? The Seed reigneth; glory to the Lord God
over all for ever! His truth spreadeth, and Friends here are
in unity and peace, and of good report, answering the good,
or that of God in people. My desires are, that all God’s
people may do the same in all places, that the Lord may be
glorified in their bringing forth much fruit that is heavenly
and spiritual. Amen.”
G.F.
Amsterdam, the 25th of the 7th Month, 1677.
After I had given forth the foregoing epistle, whereby
my spirit was in some measure eased of the weight that lay
upon it, I went in the afternoon to the monthly meeting of
Friends at Amsterdam, where the Lord was present with
291us, and refreshed our spirits together in himself.
I had thought to go next day to Haarlem; but a fast
being appointed to be kept that day, I was stopped in my
spirit, and moved to stay at Friends’ meeting that day at
Amsterdam. We had a very large meeting, a great concourse
of people coming to it, and amongst them many great persons.
The Lord’s power was over the meeting; and in the openings
thereof I was moved to declare to the people, “that no man,
by all his wit and study, nor by reading history in his own
will, could declare or know the generation of Christ, who
was, not begotten by the will of man, but by the will of
God.” After I had largely opened this unto them, “I showed
them the difference between the true fast and the false;
manifesting, that the professed Christians, Jews, and Turks,
were out of the true fast, and fasted for strife and debate,
being under the band and fists of iniquity and oppression,
wherewith they were smiting one another; but the pure
hands were not lifted up to God. And though they did all
appear to men to fast, and did hang down their heads for a
day like a bulrush, yet that was not the fast which God did
accept; but in that state all their bones were dry, and when
they called upon the Lord, he did not answer them, neither
did their health grow; for they kept their own fast and not
the Lord’s. I exhorted them to keep the Lord’s fast, which
was to fast from sin and iniquity, from strife and debate,
from violence and oppression, and to abstain from every
appearance of evil.” These things were opened to the astonishment
of the fasters; and the meeting ended peaceably
and well.
I went to Haarlem the day following, having before
appointed a meeting. Peter Hendricks and Gertrude Dirick
Nieson went with me; and a blessed meeting we had.
There were professors of several sorts, and a priest of the
Lutherans, who sat very attentive for several hours, while I
declared the truth amongst them, Gertrude interpreting.
When the meeting was done, the priest said, “he had heard
292nothing but what was according to the Word of God; and
desired that the blessing of the Lord might rest upon us, and
our assemblies.” Others also confessed to the truth, saying,
“they had never heard things so plainly opened to their
understandings before.”
We stayed that night at Haarlem at a Friend’s house,
whose name was Dirick Klassen; and, returning next day to
Amsterdam, went to Gertrude’s house; where we had not
been long, before a priest of great note, who had formerly
belonged to the Emperor of Germany, and with him another
German priest came, desiring to have some conference with
me. I took the opportunity to declare the way of truth
unto them, opening unto them “how they might come
to know God and Christ, and his law and gospel;” and
showing them that “they could never know it by study,
nor by philosophy, but by divine revelation through the
Spirit of God, opening to them in the stillness of their
minds.” The men were tender, and went away well satisfied.
On the First-day following I was at Friends’ meeting at
Amsterdam; where, amongst several sorts of professors that
were present, was a doctor from Poland, who for his religion
was banished the place he lived in; and being affected with
the testimony of truth in the meeting, he came afterwards to
have some discourse with me; and after we had been some
time together, and I had opened things further to him, he
went away very tender and loving.
While I was at Amsterdam, I spent much of my time in
writing books, papers, or epistles on truth’s behalf. I wrote
several epistles from Amsterdam to Friends in England and
elsewhere, on several occasions, as the Lord moved me by
his Spirit thereunto. I wrote also from thence, “A Warning
to the Inhabitants of the City of Oldenburg, which was lately
burnt down;” also, “A Warning to the Inhabitants of the
City of Hamburg,” both of which were as follows:—
293
“A Warning to the Magistrates and People of the City of Oldenburg.
“Friends,
“Have you not seen and felt the judgments of God upon
your city, the Lord sending lightning from heaven that
destroyed and burnt it? As I passed through your city on
a First-day of the week, which you call your Sabbath, I saw
some drinking, and soldiers playing at shuffleboard, and
others with their shops open and trading, when they should
have been waiting upon God and worshipping him; and
your people were light and vain, without any sense of God’s
judgments or repentance. O therefore repent, lest the all-seeing
God, who sees all your actions and is over all, bring
swift judgment upon you in his wrath, fury, and indignation.
Repent, and lay aside all manner of evil and wickedness,
ungodliness, and unrighteousness; for the day of the Lord
will come upon all that do evil, all the workers of iniquity.
This mighty day of the Lord will find them all out, and will
burn as an oven, and burn up all the proud and wicked, and
neither leave them root nor branch.
“Therefore, all ye magistrates, priests, and people, search
in yourselves to find out the cause, and what evil you have
committed, that has brought the wrath, vengeance, and judgment
of God upon you and your city, in burning it. All
return, and come to the light of Christ in your hearts, and to
God’s Spirit, and to the grace and truth in your hearts, that
comes by Jesus Christ; that with it ye may search your
hearts. Do not grieve, nor vex, nor quench God’s good Spirit
in your hearts, and walk not despitefully against the Spirit
of grace, nor turn from it into wantonness; and yet make a
profession of God and Christ in words, when your hearts are
afar off, living in pleasures and wantonly upon the earth,
sporting yourselves, killing the just, crucifying to yourselves
Christ afresh, and putting him to open shame; and so dishonouring
God, and Christ, and Christianity, and making a
profession and a trade of the Scriptures, keeping people
always learning, that they may be always paying.
“Cease from man, whose breath is in his nostrils, and
look unto the Lord, all ye ends of the earth, and be saved; for
the Lord God of heaven and earth is come, to teach his people
himself by his light, Spirit, grace, and truth, and to bring them off
from all the world’s teachers. God hath raised up Christ Jesus,
his Prophet, whom people should hear; and saith, ‘This is
my beloved Son, hear ye him’; and Christ saith, ‘Learn of
me, I am the way, the truth, and the life; and no man comes
to the Father, but by me.’ There is no salvation by any
294other name under the whole heaven than by the name of
Jesus, who saith, ‘I am the Good Shepherd, and have laid
down my life for my sheep; and my sheep hear my voice
and follow me, and will not follow the hireling’; for Christ
feeds them in the pastures of life that will never wither.
God hath anointed Christ Jesus to preach, if you will hear
him; and God hath given Christ for a Counsellor and a
Leader, if you will be led and counselled by him; and God
hath given Christ for a Bishop to oversee you, and a King
to rule you, if you will be overseen and ruled by him. You
that will not have Christ, who never sinned, nor was guile
found in his mouth, to rule over you, you may read his sentence
in the New Testament upon such. Is not Christ a
sufficient teacher, whose blood was shed for you, and who
tasted death for every man?
“Doth not Christ say to his ministers, ‘Freely ye have
received, freely give?’ And the apostle saith, ‘We covet
no man’s gold, silver, or apparel.’ They laboured with their
hands, and kept the gospel without charge. Have they that
are called ministers amongst you done the same, and kept this
command of Christ Jesus? Let them be examined and examine
themselves. Have you not trimmed your outsides? but
look within with the light and Spirit of Christ Jesus, and see
if your insides be not black and foul. For Christ Jesus, who
doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world, with
the life in himself, saith, ‘Believe in the light, that ye may
become children of the light.’ With the light ye may see all
the evil and ungodly deeds that ye have committed; all
your ungodly words you have spoken; and all your
ungodly thoughts ye think; that ye may turn from them to
Christ, from whom the light comes; who is your Saviour
and Redeemer, who hath given you a light to see your sin,
and that you are dead in Adam; that with the same light
you may see Christ, the quickening Spirit, who makes you
alive to God, and saves you from your sin. But if you hate
the light, which is the life in Christ, the Prince of Life,
and love the darkness and the prince of darkness more than
the light or the life in Christ, because it will reprove you; Christ
tells you, ‘This light will be your condemnation,’condemnation,’ John iii.
“Therefore be warned now in your day, and while you
have time, turn to the Lord. Do not quench the Spirit of
the Father by which he draws to the Son; nor hate the light
of Christ; for if you do, you hate the life in Christ, and so
remain under condemnation from God and Christ with the
light, who now speaks to his people by his Son, as he did in
the apostles’ days; the same God, that was the speaker by
the prophets to the fathers, and speaker to Adam and Eve in
295Paradise; and happy had Adam and Eve, and the Jews,
and all Christians been, if they had kept to this speaker, and
not followed that serpent, that false speaker, and his instruments.
And now God is the true speaker by his Son, who
bruises the head of the serpent, the false teacher, who is the
head of all false ways, false prophets, false churches, and
false religions and worships. So God in Christ is bringing
people to the pure and undefiled religion, that will keep
them from the spots of the world, into the new and living
way, Christ Jesus; and to the church in God, which Christ
is the head of, as he was in the apostles’ days; and to worship
God in the Spirit and in truth, which worship Christ set up
above sixteen hundred years since. Therefore must all
people come to the grace and Spirit of truth in their own
hearts, to know the God of truth, who is a Spirit; and in
the Spirit and truth to worship, serve, honour, and glorify
the living God, who is over all, and worthy of all, blessed
for evermore. Amen.
“Ye magistrates and officers, read this in all your assemblies,
and cause all your priests to read it in their churches;
that they and you, and all people may hear and fear the God
of heaven, as you will answer it at the great and terrible day
of judgment, and vengeance of the Lord God Almighty.
This is in love to your souls, and for your temporal and
eternal good.”
G.F.
Amsterdam, the 19th of the 7th Month, 1677.
“A Warning to the Magistrates, Priests, and People of the
City of Hamburg, to humble themselves before the Lord,
and not be high-minded.
“You have painted and garnished the inside of your
outward houses and high places; but look within your
hearts with the light of Christ, which he hath enlightened
you and every man that cometh into the world withal, and
with it you may see how foul your hearts and insides are
with sin and evil, which Christ tells you ye should make
clean; who told the Pharisees how they ‘painted the
sepulchres of the righteous,’ and they themselves were full
of rottenness and corruption. Therefore look into yourselves
and your own hearts, what you are full of. To paint the sepulchres
of the righteous apostles, and make a trade and a profession
of their words, without the same Holy Ghost, and
power, and light, and truth which they were in, will not
stand the day of God’s vengeance.
“Therefore repent while you have time, turn to the
296Lord with your whole hearts, and do not think yourselves
secure, without his immediate almighty protection. For not
all your works, nor all your own strength, and power, and defence
can protect you; it is not for you to look at them, and think
yourselves secure, to sit down in your security, and in it
let your hearts be merry, and at rest and ease. But when
the Lord brings a scourge upon you, that you are filled with
terrors and fears, remember you were warned, that you were
set down, but not in the true rest. Then all your own strength
and force will stand you in no stead; and you will acknowledge
that it must be God that must protect you.
Therefore take warning; for your priests and people are too
high, and are swallowed up too much in this world. The
vanities of it carry your minds away from God, and your
care is more for the world than for God, and more after the
riches of this world, than after the riches of the world that
has no end. Know you not, that all your heaps of outward
treasure must have an end, and that you must leave them all
behind you?
“Therefore I am to warn and advise you, both high and
low, priests and people, to come to the grace, light and
truth, that comes by Jesus Christ; to the manifestation of
the good Spirit of God, which is given to you to profit withal;
that with this grace, and truth, light, and Spirit of Christ,
you may turn to Christ Jesus, from whence it comes, who
saith, ‘Learn of me;’ and God saith, ‘This is my beloved
Son, hear ye Him.’ So all the children of the new covenant,
that walk in the new and living way, hear Christ their Prophet,
that God has raised up, and anointed to be their Teacher
and Priest. So now, God doth speak to his people by his
Son, as he did in the apostles’ days. The Lord is come to
teach his people himself by his grace, light, truth, and Spirit,
and to bring them off all the world’s teachers that are made
by men since the apostles’ days; who have kept people
always learning, that they may be always paying them. He
is come to bring them off all the world’s religions, to the
religion that he set up in the apostles’ days, in the new
covenant, which is pure and undefiled before God in his
sight, and keeps from the spots of the world, &c. And the
Lord is come to bring them off all the world’s churches, to
the church in God, which Christ the heavenly man is head of;
and to bring them off all the world’s worships, to 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 in truth
they will worship him, and know what and whom they
297worship. Also the Lord is come to bring his people off all
the world’s temples, that with the Spirit they may know
their bodies to be the temples of the Holy Ghost. And the
Lord is come to bring his people off all the world’s crosses,
pictures, 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, that
man and woman were in before they fell; and so to Christ
that never fell.
“This work 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 be the children of
light.’ And the light lets you see all your evil actions, that
you have committed; your ungodly ways you have walked
in; and your ungodly words and thoughts. If you 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 are evil, it will
reprove you; Christ tells you, ‘this light is your condemnation.’
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? Therefore everyone must believe
in the light, if they receive Christ Jesus; and as many as
receive him, he gives them ‘power to become the sons of
God.’ He that hath the Son of God, hath life; and they
that have not the Son of God, have not life: if then 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?
“Therefore do you take heed, 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 horrors and fears. 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,’ which would teach you, and bring your salvation;
nor turn from it unto wantonness. If you do, how can you
escape the overflowing scourge of the Almighty, and the wrath
of the Lamb? 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 own righteousness, and
298for your own judgment and sin. It will bring you to cleave
to that which is good, to 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 overflowing
scourge in the day of vengeance, which dreadful day is
coming upon all evil-doers. This is a warning to you, both
for your temporal and eternal good; to read in your assemblies,
and your priests in their churches, that all people may
hear and fear; as you will answer it at the terrible and
dreadful day of judgment.”
G.F.
Amsterdam, the 19th of the 7th Month, 1677.
I wrote also an Epistle to the ambassadors that were
treating about a peace at Nimeguen,[45] as follows:—
“For the Ambassadors, that are met to treat for Peace at the City of Nimeguen, in the States’ dominions.
“Christ Jesus saith, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called the children of God,’ Matt. v. 9, so
all Christian men are to forsake evil, and do good, to seek
peace and follow it, if they will ‘love life, and see good
days,’ 1 Pet. iii. 11. God hath called all true Christians unto
peace, 1 Cor. vii., and therefore all Christians ought to follow
this peace, which God calls them to. 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. The
practice of this should be among all that profess Christianity;
and this peace is above that, which Christ takes from the
earth, Rev. vi., which is the peace of the wicked. And the
apostle saith to the Christians, ‘Be at peace among yourselves,’
1 Thess. v. Now all Christians should obey this command,
and be at peace among themselves; not in wars and strife.
And further, the apostle exhorts the Christians to ‘keep the
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.’ So this unity,
this bond of peace, should be kept (and not be broken) by
299all that bear that noble name, Christian. They should keep
the unity of the Spirit of Christ in the bond of the Prince
of princes, King of kings, and Lord of lords’ peace, which is
the duty of all true Christians to keep. Herein they may
honour Christ, in bringing forth the fruits of peace, which
are love and charity. For the apostle tells you, ‘The fruit
of the good Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness,
goodness,’ &c., Gal. v.
“And the apostle exhorts the Christians, and saith,
‘If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably
with all men:’ this should be the endeavour of all
Christians. For it is no honour to Christ, that Christians
should war and destroy one another, that profess his name,
who saith, ‘He came to save men’s lives, and not to destroy
them.’ 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 xv. 8, and ‘By
this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love
one another,’ John xiii. 35. But if Christians war and destroy
one another, this will make Jews, Turks, Tartars, and
Heathens say, that you are not disciples of Christ. 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. You read, that Christians
were called the household of faith, the household of God, a
holy nation, a peculiar people: and they are commanded to
be ‘zealous of good works,’ not of bad: and Christians are
also commanded not to bite and devour one another, lest
they be consumed one of another.
“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?’
Such devouring work 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. Therefore all Christians are to
mind God and Christ’s teaching, who teacheth Christians to
love one another, yea enemies; and persuade all kings and
princes, to give liberty to all tender consciences in
matters of religion and worship, they living peaceably under
300every government: so that for the time to come, there may
be no more imprisonment and persecution among Christians,
for 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:
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 men’s 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, before the end
of the world? And therefore have not all these been actors
against the express command of Christ, the king of Heaven?
“All kings and rulers, especially they that call themselves
Christians, should obey their Lord and Saviour’s command;
‘Let the tares and the wheat grow together, till the harvest;’
and the harvest is the end of the world. Christ also told some
of his disciples, that in their zeal would have had fire to come
down from heaven, to destroy such as would not receive him,
‘That they did not know what spirit they were of;’ and rebuked
them, and said, ‘He came not to destroy men’s lives,
but to save them.’ And therefore all such as have destroyed
men’s lives concerning religion, and the worship of God, have
they known what spirit they have been of? Have they not
done that which they should not do? done that which Christ
forbade, who saith, ‘Lest ye should pluck up the wheat with
the tares,’ and saith, ‘It is the angel’s work at the end of the
world?’ And hath not God showed unto man what is good,
and his duty, ‘To love mercy, to do justly, and to walk
humbly with his God?’ which man is to mind.
“And the apostle exhorts Christians, ‘To follow peace
with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see
the Lord,’ Heb. xii. 14. Why should Christians war and
strive one with another, seeing they all own in words one
King, 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, ‘This is my commandment, that ye love one another,
as I have loved you,’ John xv. 12, and John xiii. And the
301apostle saith, Christians ought to ‘be patient towards all men,’
1 Thess. v. 14.
“From him, who is a lover of truth, righteousness, and
peace, who desires your temporal and eternal good; and that in
the wisdom of God, that is from above, pure, gentle, and peaceable,
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!”
G.F.
Amsterdam, the 21st of the 7th Month, 1677.
To the magistrates and priests of Embden I wrote, showing
them their unchristian practices in persecuting Friends.[46]
And several other books I wrote, in answer to priests and
others of Hamburg, Dantzic, and other places, to clear the
truth and Friends from their charges and false slanders.
“An Epistle concerning true Fasting, true Prayer, true
Honour, and against Persecution, and for the true
Liberty in Christ Jesus; that all may have a care, that
the apostle hath not bestowed his labour in vain upon
you in your observing of Days, Months, Times, Feasts,
and Years, and of coming under the beggarly elements
and the yoke of bondage again, and of bringing and
forcing people into them.
“Where did ever Christ or his apostles command any
believers or Christians to observe holidays or feast-days?
Let us see where it is written in the Scriptures of the New
Testament, in the four Evangelists, or the Epistles, or the
Revelation, that ever Christ or his apostles commanded
Christians to observe the time called Christmas, or a day for
Christ’s birth? or to observe the time called Easter, or
Whitsuntide, or Peter’s or Paul’s, Mark’s, Luke’s, or any
other saint’s day?
“You, that profess yourselves to be the reformed
churches from the Papists, Jews, and Heathens, and the
Scriptures to be your rule, and are professors of the new
covenant, where do you prove out of the New Testament,
that the apostles and the primitive church practised or forced
any such thing, or that Christ and his Apostles gave any
302such command to the churches that they should practise and
observe any such days? Let us see where this command is
written. Did not the apostle say unto the Galatians in the
fourth chapter, ‘But now, after that ye have known God,
or rather ye are known of God, how turn ye again to the
weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to
be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and
years; I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you
labour in vain.’ And in the third of Galatians it is said,
‘O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that you
should not obey the truth,’ &c. And in Galatians the fifth,
the apostle exhorts them to ‘stand fast in the liberty wherewith
Christ had made them free;’ and moreover said, ‘Be
not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.’
“Now doth not this manifest, that there were some
teachers, that were drawing the church of the Galatians into
these beggarly elements, and bringing them again into bondage,
in observing days, months, times, and years? It was
the apostle’s work to bring them out of those bondages and
beggarly elements; and therefore, when they were going
back again into observing days, months, times, and years, he
was afraid that he had ‘bestowed his labour upon them in
vain;’ and he exhorts them to ‘stand fast in the liberty
wherewith Christ Jesus hath made them free, and not to be
entangled again with the yoke of bondage,’ and again signifies,
that ‘they had been once entangled with that yoke of
bondage and beggarly elements.’
“But O! how are people, called Christians, since the
apostles’ days, gone again under this yoke of bondage, and
these beggarly elements, in observing days, months, times,
and years, let their practice declare. Nay, do not both
Papists and Protestants force people to observe days, months,
and times? And therefore is not the apostle’s labour and
travail bestowed upon Christendom in vain, which was to
bring people from under such beggarly elements, and that
yoke of bondage (which the law did require), to ‘stand
fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made them free,
and not to be entangled again with the yoke of bondage?’
It was and is Christ, that hath made and doth make his
people free from these beggarly elements; therefore, they
that are redeemed, are to ‘stand fast in that liberty wherewith
Christ hath made them free.’ This liberty all true
Christians are to stand fast in; they are made free by Christ
and not by man; for man, without the Spirit and mind of
Christ, seeks to force and compel Christ’s followers, such as
are made free from the yoke of bondage, to outward things
that the law commanded, to the observing of days, months,
303times, feasts, and years. From such weak, beggarly
elements, they that know God, or are known of God and
Christ, are to stand fast in their liberty, and not come under,
nor be entangled with the yoke of bondage to such things
again, seeing he hath made them free. For they that are in
such things, and would force others to them, are gone from
that which gives the knowledge of God, and have not stood
fast in the liberty wherewith Christ makes free.
“Concerning Prayer, we do not read that ever Christ or
his apostles did seek by force to compel any to fast or pray
with them. But Christ taught them how they should pray,
and be distinct from the hypocrites. His words are as
follows:—‘When thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the
hypocrites are; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues,
and in the corners of the streets, that they may be
seen of men,’ &c. ‘But thou, when thou prayest, enter into
thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy
Father, which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in
secret, shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not
vain repetitions, as the heathen do; for they think they shall
be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like
unto them; for your Father knoweth what things ye have
need of, before ye ask him,’ &c. As the apostles and saints
did, so do we; we pray in secret, and we pray in public, as
the Spirit gives us utterance, which helps our infirmities, as
it did the apostles and true Christians; after this manner
we pray for ourselves, and for all men both high and low.
“Concerning Fasting, Christ saith, ‘Moreover when ye
fast, be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance; for
they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to
fast. But when thou fastest, anoint thy head and wash thy
face, that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy
Father which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in
secret, shall reward thee openly.’
“You may see in Isaiah the lviiith., what the true fast
is which the Lord requires; where it is said to the prophet,
‘Cry aloud, and spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet,
and show my people their transgression, and the house of
Jacob their sins; yet they seek me daily, and delight to
know my ways as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook
not the ordinance of their God; they ask of me the
ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to
God. Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest
not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest
no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find
pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for
strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness,
304ye shall not fast, as ye do this day, to make your voice
to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen?
A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his
head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under
him? Wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the
Lord? Is not this the fast that I have chosen, saith the
Lord; to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy
burthens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break
every yoke?’ So this fast that the Lord requires, is not to lay
yokes, to oppress, and lay heavy burthens, and to make fast
the bands of wickedness; but to loose and to break such
things.
“And further, concerning the true fast the Lord requires,
‘Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou
bring the poor, that are cast out, to thy house? When thou
seest the naked, that thou cover him, and that thou hide not
thyself from thy own flesh? (Do you keep this true fast?)
Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine
health shall spring forth speedily; and thy righteousness
shall go before thee, the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.
Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou
shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am; if thou take away
from the midst of thee the yokes, the putting forth of the
finger and speaking vanity; and if thou draw out thy soul to
the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall thy light
arise out of obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon-day.
And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy
soul in drought, and make fat thy bones; and thou shalt
be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose
waters fail not,’ &c.
“Now here is the practice of the true fast the Lord
requires of his people; and to them that observe this fast,
the Lord saith, ‘When they call, he will answer.’ You may
see what glorious and happy comforts they receive from the
Lord, that keep this true fast; but such as fast for strife and
debate, smite with the fists of wickedness, and make their
voices to be heard on high; who afflict their souls for a day,
bow down their head as a bulrush, and loose not the bands
of wickedness; who do not undo every heavy burthen, break
not off every yoke, nor let the oppressed go free; who do
not deal their bread to the hungry, clothe not the naked, nor
bring the poor to their house, but hide themselves from their
own flesh:—such fasts and fasters the Lord doth not accept,
neither hath he chosen them. But these appear to men with
their disfigured faces, and hang down their heads as a bulrush
for a day, like the hypocrites, to fast, as Christ speaks in
Matt. vi.
305“And is it not the command of Christ, that in their fast
they should not appear unto men to fast? And now you that
would force us to shut up our shops on fasting-days, or for a
day, does not this fast appear to men? and is not this the
fast that the Lord saith in Isaiah he ‘doth not accept?’ for
he saith, ‘Is this the fast that I have chosen, a day for a man
to afflict his soul, and bow down his head as a bulrush?’ &c.
‘Wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?’
Isa. lviii.
“Therefore all God’s people are to keep the true fast of
the Lord from debate and strife, and the fists of wickedness;
that fast that breaks the bands of wickedness, and undoes
every heavy burthen; breaks every yoke, and lets the
oppressed go free; deals bread to the hungry, clothes the
naked, and brings the poor that are cast out to his own house.
Every one that keeps this true fast, their health shall grow,
and when they call, the Lord will hear them; he will be
their guide continually, satisfy their souls in drought, and
make their bones fat; and they shall be like a watered garden,
and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. Now you,
that keep not this true fast, when you call upon the Lord on
your own fasting-days, does the Lord answer you, and say,
‘Here I am?’ Doth the Lord guide you continually? Are
your bones made fat by him, and your souls satisfied in
drought? Are you like a watered garden, and like a spring,
whose waters fail not? But you that keep not this true fast,
do you not want these waters, which fail not? so your souls
are not satisfied in drought, but your bones are lean, and you
hear not the voice of the Lord, who saith, ‘Here I am;’ so
you lose the heritage of Jacob, and ride not upon the high
places there; but come under.
“Therefore every man and woman, shut your hearts
against all manner of evil whatsoever, and trade not with
Babylon’s merchants of confusion; but keep the supernatural
day of Christ that is sprung from on high, that is kept by
believing and walking in the light of Christ, and being
grafted into him. This will bring you to the true fast, from
feeding upon any evil, and to the true praying in the Spirit,
as Christ and the apostles have taught. The fruit of the
Spirit is love, &c. The birth of the Spirit is not a persecuting
birth; but he that is born of the flesh, will persecute him
that is born of the Spirit, because he will not follow the birth
of the flesh, with its weak, beggarly elements, that entangles
with its yoke of bondage, and its observing of days, months,
times, fasts, feasts, and years; which the birth of the Spirit
is to stand fast against in the liberty wherewith Christ hath
made it free.
306“Do you not know, that the Turks keep their Sabbath
on the sixth day, the Jews upon the seventh day, and the
Christians meet together on the First-day of the week? And
that day which the Turks keep, the Jews’ and Christians’
shops are open, and that day the Jews keep, Christians’ and
Turks’ shops are open; and the First-days that Christians
keep, both Jews’ and Turks’ shops are open? The Turk
does not force the Jews nor the Christians to shut up their
shops on their meeting-days, but lets them have their liberty
in Turkey. And where do you read, that ever the Turks forced
any Christians to observe any of their holidays, fasts, or feasts?
If not, should not Christians be beyond the Turks in giving
liberty to all tender consciences to serve God, seeing Christ
and the apostles command not, nor force people to observe
holidays, or times, or months, or years, but that they should
pray always in the Spirit, and fast always from strife and
debate, from all manner of sin and evil; and that will keep
down the fist of wickedness, and the bond of iniquity, &c.
“Why should not people of a tender conscience have
their liberty to exercise their consciences towards God, that
they may have ‘a good conscience always towards God and
man,’ to perform that which God requires, and to ‘do unto
all men, as they would have them to do unto them, and to
love their neighbours as themselves;’ seeing so many
debauched, evil, and seared consciences, as with a hot iron,
have liberty in their loose lives and conversations, and in
their loose words, whose tongues are at liberty to swear and
curse, and their spirits at liberty in drunkenness and uncleanness?
Let the magistrates look and see, how this evil,
seared conscience hath its liberty to be exercised in all
manner of evil things all Christendom over; which is a great
shame and dishonour to God, and Christ, and Christianity,
yea, and humanity. Therefore why should not God’s people
have their liberty to exercise their good and tender consciences
towards God and man? For the mystery of faith,
which Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of, is held in a
pure conscience; and should not the work of the true
Christian magistrate be to encourage the exercise of this
pure conscience towards God and man, and to discourage the
exercise of this evil, seared conscience, that dishonours both
God and Christ, and true Christianity? If not, how are they
a praise to them that do well, and a terror to evil-doers?
“Concerning the not putting off our hats to men.
Many that go under the name of Christians, have taken
offence at us, because we could not put off our hats, and bow
down to them; for which we find no command from Christ
or his apostles, but rather to the contrary. For Christ saith,
307‘I receive not honour of men’ (mark, he did not receive
honour of men); and further Christ saith, ‘How can ye
believe which receive honour one of another, and seek not
the honour that comes from God only?’ Now Christ declares
it to be a mark of unbelievers, that seek ‘honour one of
another,’ and seek not that ‘honour that comes from God
only;’ and is not the putting off the hat, and bowing with
it, an honour to men, which they seek one of another, and
are offended if they have it not? Nay, have they not fined,
persecuted, and imprisoned some, because they did not put
off their hats to them? Nay, do not the very Turks mock at
the Christians in their proverb, saying that ‘the Christians
spend much of their time in putting off their hats, and
showing their bare head to one another?’ But should not
those be beyond the Turks, that bear the noble name of
Christian, above seeking honour one of another, and persecuting
them that will not give it, when all true believing
Christians should seek the honour that comes from God only?
which is the duty of all true believers in Christ Jesus, for he
would not receive honour of men. And ‘He that believeth
on the Son of God, hath everlasting life; and he that
believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of
God abideth on him,’ John iii. 36. Is not the Turks’ proverb
a reproach to the Christians, who say ‘that the Christians
spend much of their time in putting off their hats, and
showing their bare heads one to another?’ Have you not
fined and imprisoned many, because they would not put off
their hats to you, and show you their bare heads? Nay, in
many of your courts they shall not have right and justice,
nor liberty and freedom in cities or states, though they have
truly served their time, and are honest and civil men, unless
they will put off their hats and show their bare heads? Have
you not made a law against such, that they must forfeit two
guilders if they do not? Do you not seek to compel and
force them to do it, and fine such as do not, as at Lansmeer
in Waterland? Is not this the honour that you seek one of
another? Did not the Pharisees and Jews do the same?
“As for your saying, ‘the apostle commands to honour
all men; and such as rule well are worthy of double honour.’
If this ‘honouring all men,’ were to put off their hats to
all men, and show all men their bare heads, then this
command you break yourselves; for you do not this to
all men generally; and if they that rule well must have
double hat-honour, then they must put off their hats twice;
and show them their bare heads. If this hat-honour, and
showing the bare head, be an invention of men, and not
from God, and ye cannot prove it by Scripture, yet say, ‘it is
308your rule;’ then you act beside the rule, and compel people
to act contrary to your rule. For where did ever the prophets,
Christ, or the apostles command any such thing? Let us see
a command, a practice, and an example for it. Nebuchadnezzar,
who was a persecutor, and cast the three children of
Israel into the fire with their hose, cloaks, and hats, we do
not read that he was offended at them, because they did not
put off their hats, and show him their bare heads; but
because they would not bow to his image. And is it not
said in the margin of the Bible, where it is said, ‘honour all
men,’ ‘have all men in esteem?’ Then they that rule well
are worthy of double esteem; and this esteem must be truly
in the heart, without any envy, malice, or hatred. As all
men are the workmanship of God, they are to be esteemed
in the heart with the Spirit of God; and they that rule well,
are worthy of double esteem; here is true honour from the
heart, both to God, and man, his workmanship. For people
may put off their hats, and show their bare heads one to
another, once or twice to the officers and magistrates, and yet
be full of envy, and malice, and hatred, and murder in their
hearts one against another; and give them that honour, as
you call it, and yet speak or wish bad things to them, when
they have turned their backs on them.
“The true honour or esteem in the heart to all men, as
they are God’s creation, is without any evil wish or thought
in the heart to any men, and especially to them that rule
well, who have the double esteem, whom God hath placed
over people. There is no evil in the heart that gives this
respect, esteem, or honour, and brings them to love their
neighbours as themselves, and to ‘do unto all men, as they
would have them do unto them;’ in that they esteem all
men, and have a double esteem for them that rule well. This
is beyond all the honour of putting off the hats once to all
men, and twice to them that are worthy of the double
honour, as you may call it. But we would ask Christians
that practise this hat-honour, and show one another their
bare heads, Who invented this single honour and double
honour, seeing they cannot prove, that ever Christ or the
apostles did command or practise any such thing, or Moses
in the time of the law? Now, do not say or think that we had
this practice of not putting off our hats from the Turk; for
we were moved by the Spirit of the Lord, before ever we
heard of the Turks’ proverb and practice, to leave the honour
that is below, and seek the honour that comes from above,
when we came to be true believers in Christ Jesus.
“Now concerning persecuting, imprisoning, and banishing
God’s people, in whom Christ is manifest, and dwells in
309their hearts; doth not Christ tell you, that in so doing you
imprison him? Then do you not banish him, and persecute
him out of your cities and corporations? And how can you
enter into, and have a share in his kingdom, though you may
profess him in words? Are not such to go into everlasting
punishment, that do not visit Christ in prison? Then what
will become of you that banish and imprison him, where he
is manifest in his members, and suffer them not to meet
together to enjoy him amongst them, according to his
promise? Therefore you, that will not let Christ reign in his
people, and have his liberty in them, in your cities and
countries, to exercise his offices, you will not have your
liberty in heaven. You that will not let Christ reign in your
hearts, nor suffer him to reign in his people here upon the
earth, in this world, in your kingdoms;—you will not reign
with Christ in heaven in his kingdom, nor in the world
without end.
“You, that banish the truth out of your cities or countries,
or its people for its sake, banish the truth and Christ
out of your hearts from ruling there; so you yourselves are
not the temples of God. When you have banished Christ
and his truth out of your own hearts, you banish such in
whom he rules out of your estates and country, then see
what judgments the Lord doth bring upon you, when you
are left to yourselves; yea, fears and troubles, one judgment
after another, come upon you; you are even filled with them.
But the banished, the sufferers for truth and Christ’s sake,
have a peaceable habitation in the truth, which the devil is
out of, and cannot get into; which habitation will outlast all
the habitations of the wicked and persecutors, though they
be ever so full of words without life and truth. The life
and the truth will outlast all airy notions, and Christ, the
Lamb and patient Seed, will overcome the devourer and the
unpatient seed; and they that have the garment, the righteousness
of Christ, which is the fine linen, will find it to outlast
all the rags and inventions of men. For Christ saith to
his learners, ‘Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world,’
the persecuting world. He said also to his disciples, ‘If the
world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated
you.’ Therefore let all that profess themselves Christians
lay aside persecution about religion, churches, or worship,
fasting or praying days; for you have no command from
Christ and his apostles to persecute any. Christ, who is the
King of kings and Lord of lords, when they called him a
deceiver, and blasphemed him, and said, ‘He had a devil,’
did not persecute any of them for it, nor force or compel any
to hear and believe him, nor the apostles after him; but he
310bade them, that would have been plucking up the tares, ‘Let
the tares and wheat grow together until the harvest.’ So you
have no command from Christ or his apostles to persecute,
imprison, banish, or spoil the goods of any, for matter of pure
conscience and religion, worship, faith, and church, in the
gospel-times.”
G.F.
Harlingen in Friesland, the 11th of the 6th Month, 1677.
After some time George Keith and William Penn came
back from Germany to Amsterdam, and had a dispute with
one Galenus Abrahams (one of the most noted Baptists in
Holland), at which many professors were present; but not
having time to finish the dispute then, they met again two
days after, and the Baptist was much confounded, and truth
gained ground.[47] Between these two disputes we had a very
great meeting at Friends’ meeting-place, at which many hundreds
of people were, and some of high rank in the world’s
account. An earl, a lord, and divers other eminent persons,
were present, who all behaved themselves very civilly. But
when the meeting was ended, some priests began to make
opposition; which, when William Penn understood, he stood
up again, and answered them to the great satisfaction of the
people, who were much affected with the several testimonies
they had heard declared. After the meeting several of them
came to Gertrude’s, where we were, with whom George Keith
had much discourse in Latin.
Having now finished our service at Amsterdam, we took
leave of the Friends there, and passed by waggon to Leyden,
about twenty-five miles; where we stayed a day or two,
seeking out and visiting some tender people we heard of
there. We met with a German, who was partly convinced.
He informed us of an eminent man that was inquiring after
truth. Some sought him out, and visited him, and found
him a serious man; I also spoke to him, and he owned the
truth. William Penn and Benjamin Furly went to visit
311another great man, that lived a little out of Leyden, who,
they said, had been general to the King of Denmark’s forces.
He and his wife were very loving to them, and heard the
truth with joy.
From Leyden we went to the Hague, where the Prince
of Orange kept his court; and we visited one of the judges
of Holland, with whom we had pretty much discourse. He
was a wise, tender man, and put many objections and queries
to us; which when we had answered, he was satisfied, and
parted with us in much love. Leaving the Hague, we went
to Delft, and thence to Rotterdam that night, where we
stayed some days, and had several meetings. While I was
here I gave forth a book for the Jews; with whom, when I
was at Amsterdam, I had a desire to have some discourse,
but they would not. Here also I reviewed several other
books and papers which I had given forth before, and which
were now transcribed.
CHAPTER IX.
312
1677-1680.—George Fox, with other Friends, sails for England, and
lands at Harwich, after a hazardous voyage of three days—has a
large meeting at Colchester, and proceeds thence to London—writes
to his wife—receives further accounts of persecution in New England—travels
into Buckinghamshire, and meets with some false
brethren, who are unruly and troublesome at meetings—Friends have
a special meeting with them afterwards—at Reading meets with
opposition to the settlement of a women’s meeting—visits Bristol
during the fair, where are many Friends from various parts—the
separatists there are very rude and abusive—he aids Friends in
drawing up a breviat of their sufferings, to present to the judges
at Gloucester assizes—meets with some separatists at Finchcomb—is
engaged with other Friends in soliciting Parliament to grant
them relief from the statutes made against Popish recusants—attends
the Yearly Meeting, which was a glorious and heavenly
one—Friends greatly united in testifying against the spirit of
separation—not one mouth opened on its behalf—the Truth prospers
at home and abroad—George Fox writes to his wife—writes to the
king of Poland to dissuade him from persecution—to Friends in
Amsterdam—Friends again press their suit for relief from the
statutes made against Popish recusants without success—are much
exercised with the spirit of separation, which opposes the order and
discipline of the church—George Fox writes a paper to open the
understandings of the weak, and as a reproof to a censorious judging
spirit—has conferences with some of the opposers at Hertford—writes
again to Friends to warn them of this spirit of false liberty—visits
Friends in prison at Leicester—advises Friends how to end
their differences—writes an epistle to Friends in London—writes to
Friends in prison to console them under suffering—writes an epistle
to the Yearly Meeting—an encouragement to Friends to be valiant
for the Truth—also a caution to Friends to keep in humility—travels
again towards the South—visits prisoners in York Castle—recommends
Friends to lay their sufferings before the judge at the
assizes—attends the Yearly Meeting in London—writes to the
Great Turk and to the Dey of Algiers—to the latter particularly
respecting Friends who are captives there—at Hertford meets with
John Story (the schismatic) and some of his party, but the Truth
prevails—has a meeting with some of the opposers—solicits the
Parliament to grant relief to Friends under suffering—writes a
paper against plots and plotters.
Finding our spirits clear of the service which the Lord
had given us to do in Holland, we took leave of Friends of
Rotterdam, and passed by boat to the Briel, in order to take
313passage that day for England; several Friends of Rotterdam
accompanying us, and some of Amsterdam, who were come
to see us again before we left Holland. But the packet not
coming in till night, we lodged that night at the Briel; and
next day being the 21st of the 8th month, and the First-day
of the week, we went on board, and set sail about ten, viz.,
William Penn, George Keith, and I, and Gertrude Dirick
Nieson, with her children. We were in all about sixty
passengers, and had a long and hazardous passage; for the winds
were contrary, and the weather stormy; the boat also was
very leaky, insomuch that we had to have two pumps continually
going, day and night; so that it was thought
there was quite as much water pumped out as the vessel
would have held. But the Lord, who is able to make the
stormy winds to cease, and the raging waves of the sea calm,
yea, to raise them and stop them at his pleasure, He alone
did preserve us: praised be his name for ever! Though our
passage was hard, yet we had a fine time, and good service
for truth on board among the passengers, some of whom
were great folks, and were very kind and loving. We
arrived at Harwich on the 23rd, at night, having been two
nights, and almost three days at sea. Next morning William
Penn and George Keith took horse for Colchester; but I
stayed, and had a meeting at Harwich; and there being no
Colchester coach there, and the postmaster’s wife being unreasonable
in her demands for a coach, and deceiving us of
it also after we had hired it, we went to a Friends’ house
about a mile and a half in the country, and hired his waggon
which we bedded well with straw, and rode in it to Colchester.
I stayed there till First-day, having a desire to be at
Friends’ meeting that day; and a very large and weighty
one it was; for Friends hearing of my return from Holland,
flocked from several parts of the country, and many of the
town’s-people coming in also, it was thought there were about
a thousand people at it; and all was peaceable. Having
314stayed a day or two longer at Colchester, I travelled through
Essex, visiting Friends at Halstead, Braintree, Felstead,
and Saling, and having meetings with them. At
Chelmsford I had a meeting in the evening; and there
being many Friends prisoners, they got liberty and came to
the meeting; and we were all refreshed together in the
Lord. Next day, the 9th of the 9th month, I got to London,
where Friends received me with great joy; and on the First-day
following went to Gracechurch Street meeting, where the
Lord visited us with his refreshing presence, and the glory
of the Lord surrounded the meeting; praised be the Lord.
After I had been a little while in London, I wrote the
following letter to my wife:—
“Dear Heart,
“To whom is my love and to the children, and to all
the rest of Friends, in the Lord’s truth, power, and Seed,
that is over all; glory to the Lord, and blessed be his name
for ever beyond all words! who hath carried me through
and over many trials and dangers, in his eternal power! I
have been twice at Gracechurch Street meeting; and though
the opposite spirits were there, yet all was quiet; the dew
of heaven fell upon the people, and the glory of the Lord
shone over all. Every day I am fain to be at meetings about
business, and sufferings which are great abroad; and now
many Friends are concerned with many persons about them:
so in haste, with my love to you all.”
G.F.
London, the 24th of the 9th Month, 1677.
About this time, I received letters from New England,
which gave account of the magistrates’ and rulers’ cruel and
unchristian-like proceedings against Friends there, whipping
and abusing them very shamefully; for they whipped many
women Friends. One woman they tied to a cart, and dragged
her along the street, stripped above the waist. They whipped
some masters of ships that were not Friends,Friends, only for bringing
Friends thither. And at that very time, while they were
persecuting Friends in this barbarous manner, the Indians
slew three-score of their men, took one of their captains, and
flayed the skin off his head while he was alive, and carried
315it away in triumph; so that the sober people said “the judgments
of God came upon them, for persecuting the Quakers;”
but the blind dark priests said, “It was because they did not
persecute them enough.”[48] Great exercise I had in seeking
relief here for our poor suffering Friends there, that they
might not lie under the rod of the wicked. Upon this and
other services for truth, I stayed in London a month or five
weeks, visiting meetings, and helping and encouraging Friends
to labour for the deliverance of their suffering brethren in
other parts.
Afterwards I went down to Kingston, and visited
Friends there and thereaway. Having stayed a little among
Friends there, looking over a book I had then ready to go to
press, I went into Buckinghamshire, visiting Friends, and
having several meetings amongst them, as at Amersham,
Hunger-Hill, Jordans, Hedgerly, Wycombe, and Turville-Heath.
In some of which, they that were gone out
from the unity of Friends in truth into strife, opposition, and
division, were very unruly and troublesome; particularly at
the men’s meeting at Thomas Ellwood’s at Hunger-Hill,
where the chief of them came from Wycombe, endeavouring
to make disturbance, and to hinder Friends from proceeding
in the business of the meeting. When I saw their design I
admonished them to be sober and quiet, and not trouble the
meeting by interrupting its service; but rather, if they were
dissatisfied with Friends’ proceedings, and had anything to
object, let a meeting be appointed on purpose some other day.
So Friends offered to give them a meeting another day: and
at length it was agreed to be at Thomas Ellwood’s[49] the week
316following. Accordingly Friends met them there, and the
meeting was in the barn; for there came so many, that the
house could not receive them. After we had sat awhile they
began their jangling. Most of their arrows were shot at me;
but the Lord was with me, and gave me strength in his power
to cast back their darts of envy and falsehood upon themselves.
Their objections were answered, and things were
opened to the people; a good opportunity it was, and serviceable
to the truth; for many that before were weak, were now
strengthened and confirmed; some that were doubting and
wavering, were satisfied and settled; and faithful Friends
were refreshed and comforted in the springings of life amongst
us. For the power arose, and life sprung, and in the arisings
thereof many living testimonies were borne against that
wicked, dividing, rending spirit, which those opposers were
joined to, and acted by; and the meeting ended to the satisfaction
of Friends. That night I lodged, with other Friends,
at Thomas Ellwood’s; and the same week had a meeting
again with the opposers at Wycombe, where they again
showed their envy, and were made manifest to the upright-hearted.
317After I had visited Friends in that upper side of Buckinghamshire,
I called upon Friends at Henley in Oxfordshire,
and afterwards went by Corsham to Reading, where
I was at meeting on First-day, and in the evening had a
large meeting with Friends. Next day there being another
meeting about settling a women’s meeting, some of them that
had let in the spirit of division, fell into jangling, and were
disorderly for a while, till the weight of truth brought them
down. After this I passed on, visiting Friends, and having
meetings in several places, through Berkshire and Wiltshire,
till I came to Bristol, which was on the 24th of the
11th Month, just before the fair.
I stayed at Bristol all the time of the fair, and some time
after. Many sweet and precious meetings we had; many
Friends being there from several parts of the nation, some on
account of trade, and some in the service of truth. Great was
the love and unity of Friends that abode faithful in the truth,
though some who were gone out of the holy unity, and were
run into strife, division, and enmity, were rude and abusive,
and behaved themselves in a very unchristian manner towards
me. But the Lord’s power was over all; by which
being preserved in heavenly patience, which can bear injuries
for his name’s sake, I felt dominion therein over the rough,
rude, and unruly spirits; and left them to the Lord, who
knew my innocency, and would plead my cause. The more
these laboured to reproach and vilify me, the more did the love
of Friends, that were sincere and upright-hearted, abound towards
me; and some that had been betrayed by the adversaries,
seeing their envy and rude behaviour, broke off
from them; who have cause to bless the Lord for their deliverance.
When I left Bristol, I went with Richard Snead to his
house in the country, and thence to Hezekiah Coale’s at
Winterbourne, in Gloucestershire, whither came several
Friends that were under great sufferings for truth’s
sake, whom I had invited to meet me there. Stephen
318Smith[50], Richard Snead, and I, drew up a breviat of their sufferings,
setting forth the illegal proceedings against them, which
was delivered to the judges at the assizes at Gloucester; and
they promised to put a stop to those illegal proceedings. Next
day we passed to Sudbury, and had a large meeting in the
meeting-house there, which at that time was of very good
service. We went next day to Nathaniel Crisp’s at Tedbury,
and thence passed on to Nailsworth; where on First-day
we had a brave meeting, and large. Thence we went to the
quarterly meeting at Finchcomb, where were several of the
opposite spirit, who, it was thought, intended to make 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,
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 the 1st of the 1st Month, 1678,
and travelled through the country visiting Friends and having
many meetings at Cirencester, Crown-Allins, Cheltenham,
Stoke-Orchard, Tewkesbury, &c., so went to
Worcester, where I had formerly suffered imprisonment
above a year for truth’s sake; and Friends rejoiced greatly
to see me there again. Here I stayed several days, and had
319many very precious meetings in the city, and much service
amongst Friends. After which, I had meetings at Pershore
and Evesham; and then struck to Ragley in Warwickshire,
to visit the Lady Conway,[51] who I understood was
very desirous to see me, and whom I found tender and loving,
and willing to detain me longer than I had freedom to stay.
About two miles hence I had two meetings at a Friend’s
house, whose name was John Stanley, whither William Dewsbury
came, and stayed with me about half a day. Afterwards
I visited Friends in their meetings, at Stratford,
Lamcote, and Armscott (whence I was sent prisoner to
Worcester in 1673,) and thence passed into Oxfordshire,
visiting Friends, and having meetings at Sibford, North-Newton,
Banbury, Adderbury, &c. Then visiting
Friends through Buckinghamshire, at Long-Crendon, Ilmer,
Mendle, Weston, Cholesbury, Chesham, &c., I
came to Isaac Penington’s, where I stayed a few days; and
then turning into Hertfordshire, visited Friends at Chorleywood,
Watford, Hemel-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 Alban’s, where I lay
that night at an inn. And visiting Friends at South-Mims,
Barnet, and Hendon, where I had meetings, I came to
London the 8th of the 3rd Month. It being the fourth day
of the week, I went to Gracechurch-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
320the Lord was present with us, refreshing us with his living
virtue: 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, to prosecute
us in several parts of the nation upon those statutes. Friends
attending on that service when I came, I joined them therein;
and there was some probability that something might be obtained
towards Friends’ ease and relief in that case, many of
the parliament-men being tender and loving towards us, believing
we were much misrepresented by our adversaries.
But when I went down one morning with George Whitehead
to the parliament house, to attend upon them on Friends’
behalf, suddenly they were prorogued, though but for a
short time.
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. O
the glory, majesty, love, life, wisdom, and unity, that were
amongst us! The power reigned over all, and many testimonies
were borne 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 wrote 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. The Lord hath in his power knit Friends wonderfully
together, and his glorious presence did appear among
them. And now the meetings are over, blessed be the Lord!
in quietness and peace. From Holland I hear things are well
321there: some Friends are gone that way, to be at their Yearly
Meeting at Amsterdam. At Embden, Friends that were
banished are got into the city again. At Dantzic, Friends
are in prison, and the magistrates threatened 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 received 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 are all in love
there. At Barbadoes, Friends are in quietness, and their
meetings settled in peace. At Antigua 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 men’s and women’s 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. In haste, with my love to you all, and to all
Friends.”
G. F.
London, the 26th of the 3rd Month, 1678.
The letter to the King of Poland mentioned is as follows:—
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 anything prejudicial
to the king or his people. We are a people that
exercise a good conscience towards God through his Holy
Spirit, and in it do serve, worship, and honour him; and towards
men in the things that are equal and just, doing to
them as we would have them do unto us; looking unto Jesus,
who is the author and finisher of our faith; which faith
purifies our hearts, and brings us to have access to God;
without which we cannot please him; by which faith all the
just live, as the Scripture declares. That which we desire of
thee, O king, is, that we may have liberty of conscience to
serve and worship God, and to pray unto him in our meetings
together in the name of Jesus, as he commands, with a promise
that he will be in the midst of them. The king, we hope,
cannot but say that this duty and service is due to God and
Christ; and we give Cæsar his due, and pay our tribute and
322custom equal with our neighbour, according to our proportion.
We never read in all the Scriptures of the New Testament,
that Christ or his disciples banished or imprisoned any that
were not of their faith or religion, and would not hear them,
or gave them any such command; but, on the contrary, let
the tares and the wheat grow together, till the harvest; and
the harvest is the end of the world. Then Christ will send
his angels to sever the wheat from the tares, &c. He rebuked
such as would have had fire from heaven to consume those
that would not receive Christ; and told them that they did
not know what spirit they were of. He came not to destroy
men’s lives, but to save them.
“We desire the king to consider how much persecution
there has been in Christendom, since the apostles’ days, concerning
religion. Christ said, they should go into everlasting
punishment, that did not visit him in prison; then what will
become of them that imprison him in his members, where he
is manifest? None can say that the world is ended; and
therefore how will Christendom answer the dreadful and
terrible God at his day of judgment, that have persecuted
one another about religion, before the end of the world, under
pretence of plucking up tares; which is not their work, but
the angels’,angels’, at the end of the world? Christ commands men
to love one another, and to love enemies, and by this they
should be known to be his disciples. O! that all Christendom
had lived in peace and unity, that they might, by their
moderation, have judged both Turks and Jews; and let all
have their liberty that do own God and Jesus, and walk as
becomes the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our
desires are, that the Lord God of heaven may soften the king’s
heart to all tender consciences, that fear the Lord, and are
afraid of disobeying him.
“We entreat the king to read some of the noble expressions
of several kings and others, concerning liberty of
conscience; and especially Stephanus, king of Poland’s sayings,
viz.: ‘It belongeth not to me to reform the consciences;
I have always gladly given that over to God, which belongeth
to him; and so shall I do now, and also for the future. I
will suffer the weeds to grow till the time of harvest, for I
know that the number of believers is but small: therefore,’
said he, when some were proceeding in persecution, ‘I am
king of the people not of their consciences.’ He also affirmed,
that ‘religion was not to be planted with fire and sword.’
Chron. Liberty of Religion, part 2.
“Also a book written in French by W. M., anno 1576,
hath this sentence, viz.: ‘Those princes that have ruled by
gentleness and clemency, added to justice, and have exercised
323moderation and meekness towards their subjects, always prospered
and reigned long; but, on the contrary, those princes
that have been cruel, unjust, prejudiced, and oppressors of
their subjects, have soon fallen, they and their estates, into
danger, or total ruin.’
“Veritus saith, ‘Seeing Christ is a Lamb, whom you
profess to be your head and captain, then it behoveth you to
be sheep, and to use the same weapons that he made use of;
for he will not be a shepherd of wolves and wild beasts, but
only of sheep. Wherefore, if you lose the nature of sheep,’
said he, ‘and be changed into wolves and wild beasts, and
use fleshly weapons, then will you exclude yourselves out of
his calling, and forsake his banner; and then will he not be
your captain,’ &c.
“Also we find it asserted by King James, in his speech
to the parliament, in the year 1609, ‘That it is a pure rule in
divinity, that God never planted his church with violence of
blood.’ And furthermore he said, ‘it was usually the condition
of Christians to be persecuted, but not to persecute.’
“King Charles, in his [Greek: Eikôn Basilikê], page 61, said in
his prayer to God, ‘Thou seest how much cruelty amongst
Christians is acted under the colour of religion; as if we
could not be Christians unless we crucified one another.’
“Page 28, ‘Make them at length seriously to consider,
that nothing violent nor injurious can be religious.’
“Page 70, ‘Nor is it so proper to hew out religious reformation
by the sword as to polish them by fair and equal
disputations among those that are most concerned in the
differences; whom not force, but reason, must convince.’
“Page 66, ‘Take heed that outward circumstances and
formalities in religion devour not all.’all.’
“Pages 91, 92, ‘In point of true conscientious tenderness
I have so often declared, how little I desire my laws and
sceptre should entrench on God’s sovereignty, who is the only
King of conscience.’
“Page 123, ‘Nor do I desire any man should be further
subject unto me, than all of us may be subject unto God.’
“Page 200, ‘O thou Sovereign of our souls, the only
Commander of our consciences!’
“Page 346 (In his ‘Meditations on Death’,) ‘It is indeed
a sad state to have his enemies to be his accusers, parties, and
judges.’
“The Prince of Orange testified, anno 1579, ‘That it was
impossible the land should be kept in peace, except there
was a free toleration in the exercise of religion.’
“‘Where hast thou read in thy day (said Menno) in the
writings of the apostles, that Christ or the apostles ever cried
324out to the magistrates for their power against them that
would not hear their doctrine, nor obey their words? I
know certainly,’ said he, ‘that where a magistrate shall banish
with the sword, there is not the right knowledge, spiritual
word, nor church of Christ; it is, Invocare brachium seculare
(to invoke the secular arm.’)
“‘It is not Christian-like, but tyrannical (said D. Philipson,)
to banish and persecute people about faith and religion;
and they that so do are certainly of the Pharisaical generation,
who resisted the Holy Ghost.’
“Erasmus said, ‘That though they take our money and
goods, they cannot therefore hurt our salvation; they afflict
us much with prisons, but they do not thereby separate us
from God.’—In de Krydges wrede, fol. 63.
“Lucernus said, ‘He that commandeth anything, wherewith
he bindeth the conscience, this is an antichrist.’—In de
Bemise Disp., fol. 71.
“Irenæus 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 emperor, said, ‘That it was enough
that he preserved the unity of the faith, that he might be
excusable before the judgment-seat of God; and that he
would leave every one to his own understanding, according
to the account he will give before the judgment-seat of Christ.
Hereto 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 IV.,
king of France, in his speech to the parliament, 1599,) to reform
the church, which, without peace, I cannot do: and it
is impossible to reform or convert people by violence. I am
king, as a shepherd, and will not shed the blood of my sheep,
325but 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 anything 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.’
“Eusebius, in his second book of the life of Constantine,
reports these words of the emperor: ‘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 persuasions: and if they be
publicly prohibited, they will privately convene: and then
all those inconveniences and mischiefs, which are arguments
against the permission of conventicles, are arguments for the
public permission 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 Emperor
Ferdinand, and his excellent son Maximilian; for they had
observed, ‘that violence did exasperate, was unblessed, unsuccessful,
and unreasonable; and therefore they made
decrees of toleration.’
“The Duke of Savoy, repenting of his war undertaken
for religion against the Piedmontese, promised them toleration;
and was as good as his word.word.
“It is remarkable, that till the time of Justinian the
emperor, Anno Domini 525, the Catholics and Novatians had
churches indifferently permitted, even in Rome itself.
“And Paul preached the kingdom of God, teaching those
things which concerned the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence;
and no man forbade 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 from kings, emperors, and others, and
the liberty that Paul had at Rome in the days of the heathen
326emperor, our desire is, that we may have the same liberty at
Dantzic to meet together in our own hired houses; which
cannot be any prejudice, either to the king or the city, for us
to meet together to wait upon the Lord, and pray unto him,
and to serve and worship him in Spirit and in 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 persecute us. Therefore, O king, consider, and the
city of Dantzic, 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 them 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.
“Postscript.—‘Blessed be the merciful, for they shall
obtain mercy.’ And remember, O king, Justin Martyr’s two
Apologies to the Roman emperors, 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, John Claus, J. Rawlins, and all
the rest of Friends in Amsterdam, Friesland, and Rotterdam,
to whom is my love in the Seed of life, that is over all.
“I received your letter with one from Dantzic: I have
written something directed to you, to the King of Poland,
which you may translate into High Dutch, and send to
Friends there to give 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. 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.”
George Fox.
London, the 13th of the 9th Month, 1677.
I continued yet in and about London some weeks, the
parliament sitting again, and Friends attending 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; being very unduly prosecuted upon the statutes
made against Popish recusants; though our persecutors could
not but know that Friends were utterly against Popery;
327having borne testimony against it in word and writing, and
suffered under it. But though many of the members of parliament
in each house were kind to Friends, and willing to
do something for their ease, yet having much business, they
were hindered from doing the good they would, so that the
sufferings of Friends 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,
opposed 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 loosely 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 sake I was moved
to write the following paper, for undeceiving the deceived,
and opening the understandings of the weak in this matter:—
“All you that deny prescriptions without distinction, 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 towards 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 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? In the
days of Christ, did not he prescribe and teach, how people
should walk and believe? And after him, did not the
apostles prescribe to people how they might come to believe,
and receive the gospel and the kingdom of God, directing to
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
328chosen men, that had hazarded their lives for Christ’s sake,
to the churches, by which they were established?
“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. Were there not some
all along in the days of Moses, and in the days of the prophets,
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 like since the days of
the apostles? 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. 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; for after the Lord had given forth the old covenant,
there were some among themselves that opposed; these were
worse than public enemies. And likewise in the days of the
new covenant, in the gospel-times, you may see what sort
opposed Christ and the apostles, after they came to some
sight of the truth, and how they turned against Christ and
his apostles? See what liberty they pleaded for, and ran
into, in the apostles’ days, who could not abide the cross, the
yoke of Jesus.
“We see the same rough and high spirit cries now for
liberty, which the power and Spirit of Christ cannot give—cries,
‘Imposition,’ and yet is imposing;—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. This spirit cries, ‘we must not judge
conscience; we must not judge matters of faith; and we
must not judge spirits, nor religions,’ &c. Yes; they that
are in the pure Spirit and power of God, which the apostles
were in, 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 and undefiled; they judge of spirits, and
try them, whether they be of God or not; they judge of hope,
whether it be that 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; 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;
329they judge of angels, whether they be fallen, or those that
keep their habitation; they judge the world, that grieves and
quenches the Spirit, hates the light, 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. This judgment is given, and all these
things are done, by the same power and Spirit the apostles
were in. Such also can judge of election and reprobation;
who keep their habitation, and who do not; who are Jews,
and who are of the synagogue of Satan; who are in the doctrine
of Christ, and who are in the doctrines of devils; who
prescribes and declares things from 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 looseness and liberty.
“These 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, his faith, truth, Spirit, light, and grace. For
there is no true liberty, but in that; and that liberty answers
the grace, the truth, the light, the Spirit, the faith, the gospel
of Christ in every man and woman, and is the yoke to the
contrary in every man and woman. That makes it rage, and
swell, and puff up; for it is restless, unruly, out of patience,
and ready to curse his God, and that which reigns over him,
because it hath not its will. It works with all subtlety and
evasion with its restless spirit, to get in and defile the minds
of the simple, and to make rapes upon the virgin minds.
But as they receive the heavenly wisdom, by which all things
were made (which wisdom is above that spirit,) through this
wisdom they will be preserved over that spirit.
“And Christ hath given judgment to his saints in his
church, though he be judge of all; and the saints, in the
power and Spirit of God, had and have power to judge of
words and manners, of lives and conversations, of growths and
states, from a child to a father in the truth; and to whom
they are a savour of death, and to whom they are a savour of
life; who serve the Lord Jesus Christ and preach him, and
who preach themselves and serve themselves; and who talk
330of the light, of faith, of the gospel, of hope, and of grace, and
preach such things; yet in their works and lives deny them
all, and God and Christ, and preach up liberty from that in
themselves to that in others, which should be under the yoke
and cross of Christ, the power of God. So the saints, in the
power and Spirit of Christ, can discern and distinguish, who
serves God and Christ, and who serves him not; and can put
a distinction between the profane and the holy. But such as
have lost their eye-salve, and whose sight is grown dim, lose
this judgment, discerning, and distinction in the church of
Christ; and such come to be spewed out of Christ’s mouth,
except they repent; and if not, they come to corrupt the
earth, and burden it, that it vomits them out of it.
“Therefore, all are exhorted to keep in the power and
Spirit of Christ Jesus, in the word of life, and the wisdom of
God (which is above that which is below,) in which they
may keep their heavenly understandings and discernings;
and so set the heavenly, spiritual judgment over that which
is for judgment, which dishonours God, and leads into loose
and false liberty; out of the unity, which stands in the
heavenly Spirit, which brings into conformity to the image
of the Son of God, and his gospel, the power of God (which
was before the devil was,) and his truth (which the devil is
out of,) in which all are of one mind, heart, and soul, and
come to drink into one Spirit, being baptized into one Spirit,
and so into one body, of which Christ is the head; and so
keep one fellowship and unity in the Spirit, which is the
bond of peace, the Prince of princes’ peace. And they that
cry so much against judging, and are afraid of judgment,
whether they be apostates, professors, or profane, are the most
judging with their censorious, false spirits, and judgment;
and yet they cannot bear the true judgment of the Spirit of
God, nor stand in his judgment. This hath been manifest
from the beginning, they having the false measures, and the
false weights; for none have the true measure and true weight
but they that keep in the light, power, and Spirit of Christ.
And now there is a loose spirit, that cries for liberty, and
against prescriptions, and yet is proscribing ways, both by
words and writings. The same spirit cries against judging,
and would not be judged, and yet is judging with a wrong
spirit. This is given forth in reproof to that spirit.”
G. F.
London, the 9th of the 4th Month, 1678.
When I had finished what service I had for the Lord at
this time here, I went towards Hertford; visiting Friends,
and having several meetings in the way. At Hertford I
331stayed some days, having much service for the Lord there,
both amongst Friends in their meetings, and in conferences
with such as having let in evil surmisings and jealousies concerning
Friends, stood in opposition to the order of truth:
and in answering some books written against truth and
Friends. While I was here, it came upon me to write a few
lines, and send them abroad amongst Friends, as follows:—
“Dear Friends,
“Let the holy Seed of life reign over death and the unholy
seed in you all; that in the holy Seed of the kingdom
ye may all feel the everlasting holy peace with God, through
Christ Jesus, your Saviour, and sit down in Him, your life and
glorious rest, the holy rock and foundation, that standeth sure
over all from everlasting to everlasting, in whom all the fulness
of blessedness is; so that ye may glory in Him that
liveth for evermore, Amen! who is your eternal joy, life, and
happiness; through whom you have peace with God. This
holy Seed bruiseth the head of the serpent, and will outlive
all his wrath and rage, malice and envy; who was before he
and it were, and remains when he and it are gone into the fire
that burns with brimstone. The Seed, Christ, will reign;
and so will ye, as ye do live and walk in Him, sit down in
Him, and build up one another in the love of God.”
G. F.
Hertford, the 10th of the 5th Month, 1678.
Next day a fresh exercise came upon me, with respect to
those unruly and disorderly spirits, that were gone out from
us, and were labouring to draw others after them into a false
liberty. In the sense I had of the hurt and mischief these
might do, where they were given way to, I was moved to
write a few lines to warn Friends of them, as follows:—
“All Friends,
“Keep in the tender life of the Lamb, over that unruly,
puffed up, and swelling spirit, whose work is for strife, contention,
and division, under a pretence of conscience, and
drawing into looseness and false liberty, dangerous to the welfare
of youth. They that do encourage them, will be guilty
of their destruction, and set up a sturdy will, instead of conscience,
in their rage and passion; which will quench the
universal Spirit in themselves, and in every man and woman:
and so, that spirit shall not have liberty in themselves, nor in
332others; thus they shut up the kingdom of heaven in themselves,
and also in others. So a loose spirit getting up under
a pretence of liberty of conscience; or a stubborn will, making
a profession of the words of truth in a form without power,
all looseness and vileness will be sheltered and covered under
this pretence, which is for eternal judgment: for that doth
dishonour God. Therefore, keep to the tender Spirit of God
in all humility, that in it you may know that ye are all members
of one another, and all have an office in the church of
Christ. All these living members know one another in the
Spirit, and not in the flesh. So here is no man ruling over
the woman, as Adam did over Eve in the fall: but Christ,
the spiritual man, among and over his spiritual members,
which are edified in the heavenly love that is shed in their
heart from God, where all strife ceases.”
G. F.
Hertford, the 11th of the 5th Month, 1678.
I went from Hertford to a meeting at Rabley-Heath,
and thence to Edward Crouch’s, of Stevenage. Next day
to Baldock, where I had a meeting that evening; and after
that had meetings at Hitchin and Ashwell. Then passing
through part of Bedfordshire, where I had a meeting or
two, I went to Huntingdon, in which county I stayed several
days, having many meetings, and much service amongst
Friends; labouring to convince gainsayers, and to confirm
and strengthen Friends in the way and work of the Lord. At
Ives, in Huntingdonshire, George Whitehead came to me, and
travelled with me, in the work of the Lord, for five or six
days in that county, and in some part of Northamptonshire;
and leaving me in Great Bowden in Leicestershire, he
went towards Westmorland. I stayed longer in Leicestershire,
visiting Friends at Saddington, Wigston, Knighton,
Leicester, Sileby, Swannington, and divers other places;
where I had very precious meetings, and good service amongst
Friends and other people: for there was great openness, and
many weighty and excellent truths did the Lord give me to
deliver amongst them.
At Leicester I went to the jail to visit the Friends that
were in prison there for the testimony of Jesus, with whom
I spent some time; encouraging them in the Lord to persevere
333steadfastly and faithfully in their testimony, and not to
be weary of suffering for his sake. And when I had taken
my leave of them, I spoke with the jailer, desiring him to be
kind to them, and let them have what liberty he could, to
visit their families sometimes.
I had a meeting or two in Warwickshire, and then
went into Staffordshire, where I had several sweet and
opening meetings, both for gathering into truth and establishing
therein. While I was in Staffordshire, I was moved to
give forth the following paper:—
“Dear Friends of the quarterly and monthly meetings
everywhere: My desire is, that ye may all strive to be of one
mind in the Lord’s power and truth, which is peaceable, and
into which strife and enmity cannot come; also in the wisdom
of God, which is pure, peaceable, and easy to be entreated,
which is above that which is below, that is earthly, devilish,
and sensual; and that with, and in this heavenly wisdom,
you may be all ordered, and do what ye do, to God’s glory.
“And, dear Friends, if there should happen at any time
anything that tends to strife, dispute or contention in your
monthly or quarterly meetings, let it be referred to half a
dozen, or such a like number, to debate and end, out of your
meetings, as it was at first, that all your monthly and quarterly
meetings may be kept peaceable. And then they may
inform the meeting what they have done; that the weak and
youth amongst you may not be hurt, through hearing of
strife or contention in your meetings, where no strife or contention
ought to be; but all to go on, and determine things
in one mind, in the power of God, the gospel order: in
which gospel of peace ye will preserve the peace of all your
meetings.
“If any man or woman have anything against any one,
let them speak to one another, and end it between themselves;
if they cannot so decide, let them take two or three
to end it. In case these determine it not, let it be laid before
the church; and let half a dozen, or such a number out of
your monthly or quarterly meeting hear it, and finally end
it, without respect of persons. Let all prejudice be laid aside
and buried; also all shortness one towards another; and let
love, which is not puffed up, envies not, seeks not her own,
but bears all things, have the dominion in all your meetings;
for that doth edify the body, which Christ is the head of;
and this will rule over all sounding brass and tinkling
cymbals. This love will suffer long, and is kind; it will
334keep down that which would vaunt itself, or be puffed up,
or behave itself unseemly, or is easily provoked; it hath a
sway over all such fruits, as are not of the Spirit, the fruit of
which is love, &c. And that with this Holy Spirit ye may
all be baptized into one body, and be made to drink into one
Spirit; in which Spirit ye will have unity, in which is the
bond of the King of kings’, and Lord of lords’ peace. They
that dwell in love, dwell in God; for God is love: therefore
let every one keep his habitation. My love to you in Christ
Jesus, the everlasting Seed, which is over all.”
G.F.
Staffordshire, the 20th of the 6th Month, 1678.
Out of Staffordshire I went to visit John Gratton[52] at
Monyash in Derbyshire, with whom I tarried one night;
and went next day to William Shaw’s of the Hill in Yorkshire,
where I appointed a meeting to be on First-day
following. Many Friends out of Derbyshire, and from
several meetings in Yorkshire, came, and a precious, comfortable
meeting it was; wherein was opened the blessed
state of man before he fell; the means by which he fell;
the miserable condition into which he fell; and the right
way of coming out of it, into a happy state again by Christ,
the promised Seed.
335I spent about two weeks in Yorkshire, travelling from
place to place amongst Friends in the Lord’s service; and
many heavenly meetings I had in that county. Then visiting
Robert Widders, at Kellet, in Lancashire, I passed to
Arnside, in Westmorland, where I had a precious, living
meeting in the Lord’s blessed power, to the great satisfaction
and comfort of Friends, who came from divers parts to it.
Next day I went to Swarthmore; and it being the meeting-day
there, I had a sweet opportunity with Friends, our hearts
being opened in the love of God, and his blessed life flowing
amongst us.
I had not been long at Swarthmore, ere a concern came
upon me to visit the churches of Christ in London and elsewhere,
by an epistle, as follows:—
Dear Friends,
“To whom is my love in the heavenly Seed, in whom
all nations are blessed. O, keep all in this Seed, in which
ye are blessed, and in which Abraham and all the faithful
were blessed, without the deeds of the law; for the promise
was and is to, and with the Seed, and not with the law of
the first covenant. In this Seed all nations, and ye, are
blessed, which bruiseth the head of the seed that brought
the curse, and separated man from God; this is the Seed
which reconciles you to God, this is the Seed in which ye
are blessed both in temporals and spirituals; through which
ye have an inheritance among the sanctified, that cannot be
defiled, neither can any defiled thing enter into its possession;
for all defilements are out of this Seed. This is that which
leavens into a new lump, and bruises the head of the wicked
seed, which leavens into the old lump, upon which the Sun
of Righteousness goes down and sets; but it never goes
down and sets to them that walk in the Seed, in which all
nations are blessed: by which Seed they are brought up to God,
which puts down that seed which separated them from God;
so that there comes to be nothing between them and God.
Now, all my dear Friends, my desires are, that ye may all be
valiant in this heavenly Seed, for God and his truth upon
the earth, and spread it abroad, answering that of God in all;
that with it the minds of people may be turned towards the
Lord, that he may come to be known, and served, and worshipped;
and that ye may all be as the salt of the earth, to
make the unseasoned savoury.
336“And in the name of Jesus keep your meetings, who
are gathered into it, in whose name ye have salvation; he
being in the midst of you, whose name is above every name
under the whole heaven. So ye have a Prophet, Bishop,
Shepherd, Priest and Counsellor (above all the counsellors
and priests, bishops, prophets, and shepherds under the whole
heaven) to exercise his offices among you, in your meetings,
that are gathered in his name. For Christ’s meeting and
gathering is above all the meetings and gatherings under the
whole heaven; and his body, his church, and he the head of
it, is above all the bodies, churches, and heads under the
whole heaven. And the faith that Christ is the author of,
the worship that he hath set up, and his fellowship in the
gospel, are above all historical faiths, and the faiths that men
have made, together with their worships and fellowships
under the whole heaven.
“And now, dear Friends, keep your men’s and women’s
meetings in the power of God, the gospel, the authority of
them, which brings life and immortality to light in you; and
this gospel, the power of God, will preserve you in life, and
in immortality, that ye may see over him that hath darkened,
and kept from the knowledge of the things of God: for it is
he and his instruments which have darkened you from life and
immortality, that would throw down your men’s and women’s
meetings, and would darken you again from this life and immortality,
which the gospel hath brought to light, and will
preserve you, as your faith stands in this power, in which
every one sees his work and service for God. Every heir in
the power of God, the gospel, hath right to this authority,
which is not of man, nor by man; which power of God is
everlasting, an everlasting order and fellowship; and in the
gospel is everlasting joy, comfort, and peace, which will outlast
all those joys, comforts, and peaces, that will have an
end; and that spirit also that opposes its order, and the glorious
fellowship, peace, and comfort in it.
“And, dear Friends, my desire is, that ye may keep in
the unity of the Spirit, that baptizes you all into one body,
of which Christ is the heavenly and spiritual Head; so that
ye may see and bear witness thereto, and all drink into the
one Spirit; which all people upon the earth are not likely to
do, while they grieve, quench, and rebel against it; nor to
be baptized into one body, and to keep the unity of the
Spirit, which is the bond of peace, yea, the King of kings’
and Lord of lords’ peace; which it is the duty of all true
Christians to keep, who are inwardly united to Christ. My
love to you all in the everlasting Seed.”
G. F.
Swarthmore, the 26th of the 7th Month, 1678.
337There were about this time several Friends in prison
for bearing testimony to the truth, to whom I was moved to
write a few lines, to comfort, strengthen, and encourage
them in their sufferings; having a true sense of their sufferings
upon my spirit, sympathizing with them therein.
That which I wrote was after this manner:—
“My dear Friends,
“Who are sufferers for the Lord Jesus’ sake, and for the
testimony of his truth; the Lord God Almighty with his
power uphold and support you in all your trials and sufferings,
and give you patience and content in his will, that ye
may stand valiant for Christ and his truth upon the earth,
over the persecuting and destroying spirit, which makes to
suffer, in Christ (who bruises his head) in whom ye have
both election and salvation. For his elect’s sake the Lord
hath done much from the foundation of the world; as may
be seen throughout the Scriptures of truth. They that touch
them touch the apple of God’s eye; they are so tender to
him; and therefore it is good for all God’s suffering children
to trust in the Lord, and to wait upon him: for they shall
be as Mount Sion, that cannot be removed from Christ, their
rock and salvation, who is the foundation of all the elect of
God, of the prophets and the apostles, and of God’s people
now, and to the end. Glory to the Lord and the Lamb over
all! Remember my dear love to all Friends, and do not
think the time long; for all time is in the Father’s hand,
his power. Therefore keep the word of patience, and exercise
that gift; and the Lord strengthen you in your sufferings,
in his Holy Spirit of Faith. Amen.”
G.F.
Swarthmore, the 5th of the 12th Month, 1678.
I abode in the North at this time above a year, having
service for the Lord amongst Friends there, and being much
taken up in writing in answer to books published by adversaries;
and for opening the principles and doctrines of truth
to the world, that they might come to have a right understanding
thereof, and be gathered thereunto. Several
epistles also to Friends I wrote in this time, on divers occasions;
one was to the Yearly Meeting of Friends held in
London this year, 1679, a copy of which here follows:—
338
“My dear Friends and Brethren,
“Who are assembled together in the name and power of
the Lord Jesus Christ; grace, mercy, and peace from God the
Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, fill all your hearts,
and establish you in his grace, mercy, and peace upon Christ,
the holy, living Rock and Foundation, who is the First and
Last, and over all the rocks and foundations in the whole
world; a Rock and Foundation of life for all the living to
build upon, which stands sure in his heavenly, divine light,
which is the life in Him, by whom all things were made:
who is the precious stone laid in Zion (and not in the world),
which all the wise master-builders rejected, who pretended
to build people up to heaven with the words of the prophets,
and the law from Mount Sinai, but out of the life of both.
Such builders therefore could not receive the law of life
from Christ, the precious Stone laid in Sion, nor the word
from heavenly Jerusalem. But you, my dear Friends, that
have received this law from heavenly Sion, and the word
from heavenly Jerusalem, in the new covenant, where the
life and substance is enjoyed, you see the end and abolishing
of the Jews’ law and ceremonies from Mount Sinai.
“And therefore, my desire is, that you all may keep in
the law of life and love, which ye have in Christ Jesus, by
which love the body is edified, knit, and united together to
Christ Jesus, the Head. This love beareth all things, and
fulfils the law; and it will preserve all in humility, to be of
one mind, heart, and soul; so that all may come to drink
into that one Spirit that doth baptize and circumcise them;
plunging down and cutting off the body of the sins of the
flesh, that is gotten up in man and woman by their transgressing
of God’s commands. So that in this holy, pure
spirit, all may serve and worship the pure God in Spirit and
in truth, which is over all the worships that are out of God’s
Spirit and his truth. In this Spirit ye will all have a spiritual
unity and fellowship, over all the fellowships of the unclean
spirits which are out of truth in the world. By this holy
Spirit all your hearts, minds, and souls, may be knit together
to Christ, from whence it comes; and by the grace and truth
which is come by Jesus Christ, which all should be under
the teachings of in the new covenant, and not under the law,
as the outward Jews were in the old covenant—by this grace
and truth in the new covenant, all may be made God’s free
men and women, to serve God in the new life, and in the
new and living way; showing forth the fruits of the new
heart and new spirit, in the new covenant, over death and
darkness; glory be unto the Lord for ever!
“Now, Friends, in this grace and truth is your heavenly,
339gracious, and true liberty to every spiritual mind, that makes
you free from him that is out of truth, where your bondage
was; also your liberty in the holy, divine, and precious
faith, which gives you victory over that which once separated
you from God and Christ, and by which faith ye have
access to God again, through Jesus Christ. So in this divine
and holy faith, ye have divine, holy, and precious liberty,
yea, and victory over him that separated you from God: and
this faith is held in a pure conscience. So the liberty in the
Spirit of God, is in that which baptizes and plunges down
sin and iniquity, and puts off the body of death and of the
sins of the flesh, that is gotten up by transgressing God’s
command. And also the liberty of the gospel, which is sent
from heaven by the Holy Ghost, which is the power of God,
which was, and is again to be, preached to all nations: in
this gospel (the power of God, which is over the power of
Satan,) is the true liberty, and the gospel-fellowship and
order. So that the evil spirit or conscience, or false, dead
faith, and that which is ungracious and out of truth, and not
in the Spirit of God, nor in his gospel, nor in the divine
faith, its liberty is in the darkness: for all the true liberty is
in the gospel, and in the truth that makes free; in the faith,
in the grace, and in Christ Jesus, who destroys the devil and
his works, that hath brought all mankind into bondage. So
in this heavenly, peaceable Spirit, and truth, and faith, which
works by love, and in the gospel of peace, and in Christ
Jesus, is all the saints’ peace, and pure, true, and holy liberty;
in which they have salt, and sense, feeling, discerning, and
savour, yea, unity and fellowship one with another, and with
the Son and the Father, heavenly eternal fellowship. So all
being subject to the grace, and truth, to the faith, and gospel
(the power of God,) and to his good Spirit; in this they distinguish
all true, pure, and holy liberty, from that which is
false. This will bring all to sit low: for patience runs the
race, and the Lamb must have the victory; and not the
rough, unruly, and vain talkers, unbaptized, uncircumcised,
and unsanctified. Such travel not in the way of regeneration,
but in the way of unregeneration; neither go they
down into death with Christ by baptism; and therefore such
are not like to reign with him in his resurrection, who are
not buried with him in baptism. Therefore, all must go
downward into the death of Christ, and be crucified with
him, if they will arise, and follow him in the regeneration,
before they come to reign with him.
“And, Friends, many may have precious openings; but
I desire all may be comprehended in that thing which doth
open to them; and that they may all keep in the daily cross;
340then they keep in the power, that kills and crucifies that,
which would lead them amongst the beasts and goats, to
leaven them into their rough, unruly spirit; that through
the cross, the power of God, that may be crucified, and they
in the power may follow the Lamb. For the power of God
keeps all in order, subjection, and humility—in that which
is lovely and virtuous, decent, comely, temperate, and moderate;
so that their moderation appears to all men. My desire
is, that all your lights may shine, as from a city set upon a
hill, that cannot be hid; and that ye may be the salt of the
earth, to salt and season it, and make it savoury to God, and
you all seasoned with it. Then all your sacrifices will be a
sweet savour to the Lord, and ye will be as the lilies and
roses, and garden of God, which gives a sweet smell unto
him; whose garden is preserved by his power, the hedge,
that hedges out all the unruly and unsavoury, and the destroyers
and hurters of the vines, buds, and plants, and God’s
tender blade, which springs up from his Seed of life; who
waters it with his heavenly water, and word of life continually,
that they may grow and be fruitful; that so he may
have a pleasant and fruitful garden. Here all are kept fresh
and green, being watered every moment with the everlasting,
holy water of life, from the Lord, the fountain.
“My dear Friends, my desire is, that this heavenly Seed,
that bruises the head of the serpent, both within and without,
may be all your crown and life, and ye in him, one
another’s crown and joy, to the praise of the Lord God over
all, blessed for evermore! This holy Seed will outlast and
wear out all that which the evil seed, since the fall of man,
has brought forth and set up. As every one hath received
Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him in the humility which
he teaches; and shun the occasions of strife, vain janglings,
and disputings with men of corrupt minds, who are destitute
of the truth: for the truth is peaceable, and the gospel is a
peaceable habitation in the power of God; his wisdom is
peaceable and gentle, and his kingdom stands in peace. O,
his glory shines over all his works! and in Christ Jesus, who
is not of the world, ye will have peace, yea, a peace that the
world cannot take away: for the peace which ye have from
him, was before the world was, and will be when it is gone.
This keeps all in that, which is weighty and substantial, over
all chaff. Glory to the Lord God over all for ever and ever!
Amen.
“And now, my dear Friends, the Lord doth require
more of you than he doth of other people; because he hath
committed more to you. He requires the fruits of his Spirit,
of the Light, of the Gospel, of the Grace, and of the Truth;
341for herein is he glorified (as Christ said,) in your bringing
forth much fruit—fruits of righteousness, holiness, godliness,
virtue, truth, and purity; so that ye may answer that
which is of God in all people. Be valiant for his everlasting,
glorious gospel, in God’s Holy Spirit and truth; keeping in
unity, and in the Holy Spirit, Light, and Life, which is over
death and darkness, and was before death and darkness were.
In this Spirit ye have the bond of peace, which cannot be
broken, except ye go from the Spirit; and then ye lose this
unity and bond of peace, which ye have from the Prince of
Peace.
“The world also expects more from Friends than from
other people; because you profess more. Therefore you
should be more just than others in your words and dealings,
and more righteous, holy, and pure in your lives and conversations;
so that your lives and conversations may preach.
For the world’s tongues and mouths have preached long
enough; but their lives and conversations have denied what
their tongues have professed and declared.
“And, dear Friends, strive to excel one another in
virtue, that ye may grow in love, that excellent way which
unites all to Christ and God. Stand up for God’s glory, and
mind that which concerns the Lord’s honour, that in nowise
his power may be abused, or his name evil spoken of, by any
evil talkers or walkers: but that in all things God may be
honoured, and ye may glorify him in your bodies, souls, and
spirits, the little time ye have to live. My love to you all in
the holy Seed of Life, that reigns over all, and is the First
and Last; in whom ye all have life and salvation, and your
election and peace with God, through Jesus Christ, who destroys
him that hath been between you and God; so that
nothing may be between you and the Lord, but Christ Jesus.
Amen.
“My life and love is to you all, and amongst you all.
The Lord God Almighty by his mighty power, by which he
hath preserved all his people unto this day, preserve and
keep you all in his power, and peaceable, holy truth, in unity
and fellowship one with another, and with the Son and the
Father. Amen.”
G.F.
The 24th of the 3rd Month, 1679.
Divers other epistles and papers I wrote to Friends,
during my stay in the North; one was in a few lines, to encourage
Friends to be bold and valiant for the Truth, which,
the Lord had called them to bear witness to; it was thus:—
342
“Dear Friends,
“All be valiant for the Lord’s Truth upon the earth,
which the serpent, Satan, and the devil is out of; and in the
truth keep him out, in which you all have peace and life,
and unity with God and his Son, and one with another. Let
the love of God fill all your hearts, that in it ye may build
up and edify one another in the light, life, Holy Spirit, and
power of God, the glorious comfortable gospel of Christ, the
heavenly Man, your Lord and Saviour; who will fill all
your vessels with his heavenly wine and water of life;
clothe you with his heavenly clothing, his fine linen, that
never waxeth old; and arm you with his heavenly weapons
and armour, that ye may stand faithful witnesses for God and
his Son, who is come, and hath given you an understanding
to know Him, and ye are in him. So walk in him, in whom
ye all have life and salvation, and peace with God. My love
to you all in the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom I have laboured;
and God Almighty, in his eternal power and wisdom, preserve
you all to his glory. Amen.”
G.F.
Swarthmore, the 29th of the 10th month, 1679.
The next day, having a sense upon me that some who
had received the Truth, and had openings thereof, for want
of keeping low, had run out therefrom, I was moved to give
forth the following epistle as “a warning and exhortation to
all to dwell in humility:”—
“Whom the Lord in his tender mercies, hath visited
with the day spring from on high, and hath opened you to
confess and bow to his name; keep low in your minds, and
learn of Christ, who teacheth you humility, to keep in it; so
that in no wise, ye that are younger, be exalted, or puffed
up, or conceited through your openings, and by that means
lose your conditions, by being carried up into presumption;
and then fall into despair, and so abuse the power of God.
For it was the apostles’ care, that none should abuse the
power of the Lord God; but in all things their faith was to
stand therein, that they all might be comprehended into the
truth, which they spoke to others, that they might not be
preachers to others, and themselves cast-aways. Therefore
it doth concern you to be comprehended into that, which ye
do preach to others, and keep low in it; then the God of
Truth will exalt the humble in his truth, light, grace, power,
and Spirit, and in his wisdom to his glory. Here all are
343kept in their measures of grace, light, faith, and the Spirit
of Christ, the heavenly and spiritual Man.
“So let none quench the Spirit, or its motions, grieve it,
or err from it; but be led by it, which keeps all in their
tents; which giveth an understanding, how to serve, worship,
and please the holy, pure God, the Maker and Creator
in Christ Jesus, and how to wait, speak, and answer the
Spirit of God in his people; in which Holy Spirit is the
holy unity and fellowship. The Holy Spirit teacheth the
holy, gentle, meek, and quiet lowly mind to answer the seed,
that Christ hath sown upon all grounds; and to answer the
light, grace, and Spirit, and the gospel in every creature,
though they are gone from the Spirit, grace, light and gospel
in the heart. So by holy walking all may come to do it,
as well as by holy preaching, that God in all things may be
glorified by you, and that ye may bring forth fruits to his
praise, Amen.”
G.F.
Swarthmore, the 30th of the 10th Month, 1679.
About the latter end of this year I was moved of the
Lord to travel into the South again. I set forward in the
beginning of the first month, 1679-80; and passing through
part of Westmorland and Lancashire, I visited Friends
at several meetings, and came into Yorkshire. Divers
large and weighty meetings I had in Yorkshire, before I came
to York. When I came there it was the assize time; and
there being many Friends in prison for truth’s sake, I put
those, that were at liberty, upon drawing up the sufferings of
Friends in prison, to lay before the judges; and I assisted
them therein. There were then in York many Friends
from several parts of the county, for the quarterly meeting
was at that time; so that I had a brave opportunity among
them. Many weighty and serviceable things did the Lord
open through me to the meeting, relating to the inward
state of man, how man by faith in Christ comes to be grafted
into him, and made a member of his spiritual body; and
also to the outward state of the church, how each member
ought to walk and act, according to his place in the body. I
spent several days in York, having divers meetings; and all
was peaceable and well. I went also to the castle, to visit
344Friends that were prisoners; with whom I spent some time,
encouraging and strengthening them in their testimony.
Then leaving York, I travelled southward, having meetings
in many places amongst Friends, till I came to Barton
in Lincolnshire; where, on First-day, I had a large and
precious meeting. Then turning into Nottinghamshire,
I travelled through good part of that county, in which I had
several good meetings; and then passed into Derbyshire,
Leicestershire, and Warwickshire, having meetings
all along as I went, till I came to Warwick; there William
Dewsbury came to me, and several other Friends, and we
had a little meeting in that town. Then passing through
Southam and Radway, at each of which places I had a
very good meeting, I came to Nathaniel Ball’s, of North
Newton in Oxfordshire, and so to Banbury to a monthly
meeting there. After I had visited Friends in the bordering
parts of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Northamptonshire,
I passed to Richard Baker’s[53] of Biddlesden
in Buckinghamshire; and next day, being First-day, I
had a very large meeting in Biddlesden, at an old abbey
house, which a Friend rented and dwelt in. Many Friends
and people came to it out of Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire
and the parts adjacent; and of good service it was. After
this, I visited Friends in those parts, having meetings at
Lillingston-Lovel and Bugbrook. Then going to
Stony-Stratford, I went from thence into some parts of
345Bedfordshire, till I came to Edward Chester’s of Dunstable.
Passing on by Market Street, I had a meeting
at Alban’s; and calling on Friends at Mims and
Barnet, I came to the Widow Hayley’s, at Gutterhedge,
in Hendon, Middlesex, on a Seventh-day night,
and had a very large and good meeting there the day
following.
I passed thence to London on the Third-day following,
and went directly to the Peel-meeting at John Elson’s; and
next morning to the meeting at Gracechurch Street, which
was very large and quiet; and Friends rejoiced in the Lord
to see me. The Yearly Meeting was the week following, to
which many Friends came out of most parts of the nation;
and a blessed opportunity the Lord gave us together;
wherein the ancient love was sweetly felt, and the heavenly
life flowed abundantly over all. After the Yearly
Meeting, I continued a month or five weeks, in and about
London, labouring in the work of the Lord, both in and out
of meetings; for besides the public testimony which the
Lord gave me to bear both to Friends and to the world in
meetings, I had much service upon me, with respect to
Friends’ sufferings, in seeking to get ease and liberty for
them in this and other nations. Much pains and time I
spent, while in London, in writing letters to Friends in
divers parts of England, and in Scotland, Holland, Barbadoes,
and several parts of America.
After this I was moved of the Lord to visit Friends in
some parts of Surrey and Sussex. I went to Kingston by
water, and tarried certain days; for while I was there, the
Lord laid it upon me to write both to the great Turk, and the
Dey of Algiers severally, to warn them, and the people under
them, to turn from their wickedness, fear the Lord, and do
justly; lest the judgments of God should come upon them,
and destroy them without remedy. To the Algerines I wrote
more particularly, concerning the cruelty they exercised
towards Friends and others, whom they held captives in
346Algiers.[54] When I had finished that service, and visited
Friends in their meetings at Kingston, I went further into
the country, and had meetings amongst Friends at Worplesdon,
Guildford, Esher, Capel, Patchgate, Worminghurst,
Bletchington, Horsham, Ifield, Reigate,
Gatton, &c., and so came back to Kingston again; and
thence to Hammersmith. Having spent some days in the
service of truth amongst Friends at Hammersmith, Battersea,
Wandsworth, and thereabouts, I crossed over, by
Kensington, to Hendon, where I had a very good meeting
on a First-day; and went thence to London.
When I had been about ten days in London, I was
drawn again to visit Friends in the country; and went to
Edmonton, to Christopher Taylor’s, who kept a school for
347the educating of Friends’ children. I had some service here
amongst the youth; and then went towards Hertford, visiting
Friends on the way. At Hertford I met with
John Story, and some others of his party;[55] but the
testimony of truth went over them, and kept them
down, so that the meeting was quiet. It was on a
First-day; and the next day being the men’s and women’s
meeting for business, I visited them also, and the rather, because
some in that place had let in a disesteem of them.
Wherefore I was moved to open the service of those
meetings, and the usefulness and benefit thereof to the
church of Christ, as the Lord opened the thing in me; and
it was of good service to Friends. I had a meeting also with
some of those, that were gone into strife and contention, to
show them wherein they were wrong; and having cleared
myself of them, I left them to the Lord. Then, after another
public meeting in the town, I returned towards London by
348Waltham Abbey, where I had a public meeting on the
First-day following; and another with Friends in the evening.
Next day I went to Christopher Taylor’s at Edmonton,
and stayed there a day or two, having some things upon me
to write, which were for the service of truth. When I
had finished that service, I went to London by Shacklewell,
where was a school kept by Friends, for the bringing
up of young women that were Friends’ daughters.
I abode at London most part of this winter, having
much service for the Lord there, both in and out of meetings:
for as it was a time of great suffering among Friends, I was
drawn in spirit to visit Friends’ meetings more frequently;
to encourage and strengthen them both by exhortation and
example. The parliament also was sitting, and Friends were
diligent in waiting upon them, to lay their grievances before
them. We received fresh accounts almost every day of the sad
sufferings Friends underwent in many parts of the nation. In
seeking relief for my suffering brethren I spent much time;
together with other Friends, who were freely given up to
that service, attending at the parliament-house for many
days together, and watching all opportunities to speak with
such members of either house, as would hear our just complaints.
And indeed, some of these were very courteous to
us, and appeared willing to help us if they could; but the
parliament being then earnest in examining the Popish plot,
and contriving ways to discover such as were Popishly affected,
our adversaries took advantages against us (because
they knew we could not swear nor fight) to expose us to
those penalties that were made against Papists; though they
knew in their consciences that we were no Papists, and had
had experience of us, that we were no plotters. Wherefore,
to clear our innocency, and to stop the mouths of our
adversaries, I drew up a short paper, to be delivered to the
parliament; as follows.
“It is our principle and testimony, to deny and renounce
all plots and plotters against the king, or any of his subjects;
349for we have the Spirit of Christ, by which we have the mind
of Christ, who came to save men’s lives, and not to destroy
them. We desire the safety of the king and of all his subjects.
Wherefore we declare, that we will endeavour, to our
power, to save and defend him and them, by discovering all
plots and plotters (which shall come to our knowledge) that
would destroy the king or his subjects. This we do sincerely
offer unto you. But as to swearing and fighting, which in
tenderness of conscience we cannot do, ye know that we
have suffered these many years for our conscientious refusal
thereof. And now that the Lord hath brought you together,
we desire you to relieve us, and free us from these sufferings;
and that ye will not put upon us to do those things, which
we have suffered so much and so long already for not doing;
for if you do, you will make our sufferings and bonds
stronger, instead of relieving us.”
G.F.
CHAPTER X.
350
1681-1683.—George Fox answers two envious books written abroad—writes
to magistrates to persuade them to moderation—writes to
the Quarterly Meetings—attends the judges at Chambers, respecting
a tithe-suit against himself and his wife—George Fox had
bound himself not to intermeddle with his wife’s estate—this is
shown to the judges in court, at which they wonder—his counsel
thereon founds an argument in his favour—he again writes against
the spirit of strife and division in the church—writes to the magistrates
who had illegally condemned Friends upon ex-parte evidence—writes
two papers respecting the choice of sheriffs—Friends are
interrupted at Gracechurch Street Meeting by a civil and military
force—George Fox writes divers books and papers in support and
defence of the Truth—the Spirit of God directed to as the rule to
distinguish between Truth and error, whereby the evil of persecution
may be avoided—an epistle to encourage Friends under their
sufferings, both from the outward powers, and from false brethren—the
laws are now more strictly enforced against Dissenters—an
epistle to Friends, commending them to the power of God in themselves—writes
to Friends imprisoned at Denbigh, to console them
in their sufferings, and exhorting them to faithfulness—Friends are
kept out of their meeting-houses, and fined for speaking—a Friend
is speedily restored from a sudden illness, in a remarkable manner,
through the prayers of George Fox—persecution is now hot, and
George Fox writes to Friends not to risk the loss of other people’s
goods through their sufferings.
About this time I received two very envious books,
written against Truth and Friends; one of them by a doctor
(so called) of Bremen, in Germany, the other by a priest of
Dantzic. They were both full of gross falsehoods, and reproachful
slanders. I found it upon me to answer them both;
and that I might not be much interrupted therein by other
business and company, I went to Kingston-upon-Thames,
where I wrote an answer to each of them; and also to some
other scandalous papers which had been printed and scattered
about to misrepresent Friends.
While I was there I wrote also the following paper, to
persuade the magistrates to moderation towards Dissenters,
351and take off their edge to persecution. That it should have
its full service, I directed it—
“To all the Rulers, Magistrates, and Law-makers in England,
Scotland, and Ireland, from the highest to the lowest;
and to all other Magistrates everywhere, in that which
is called Christendom; desiring their health, peace,
tranquillity, life, and salvation in Christ Jesus, the Lord
of Glory, and Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of
the world, who is the King of kings, and Lord of lords,
to whom all power in heaven and in earth is given;
and who will reward every man according to his words
and works.
“You that bear the name of Christian magistrates, my
desire is, that you may all be found in Christ; and not only
have the name, but be made partakers of his divine nature;
that ye may be not only sayers, but doers of the word; not
only professors and talkers of Christ, but letting him rule
in your hearts by faith, and be walkers in Christ. For as his
great apostle saith, ‘As every one hath received the Lord
Jesus Christ, so let him walk in him; for in him there is
peace.’ If all that profess Christ, did walk in Christ, they
would walk in peace, and be in unity; for the apostle exhorted
the Christians in his day to keep the unity of the
Spirit; which is the bond of peace, yea, of Christ the King
of kings’ peace. All Christians, who have the Scriptures, and
are not in this Spirit of Christ, are not in unity one with another;
and so have broken this bond of peace, which should knit
and unite them together. Likewise all that profess the truth
of Christ, should live in it; for it is peaceable, and the gospel
is the gospel of peace; which, if all Christians lived in,
they would be at peace one with another, and in the glorious
fellowship of the gospel. And if all Christians kept in
the fear of God, which is the beginning of the pure, heavenly
peaceable, and gentle wisdom, which is easy to be entreated
(above that wisdom which is earthly, sensual, devilish, and
destroying), there would be no difference and destroying
about matters of religion.
“I do declare the mighty day of the Lord is come and
coming; and the Lord God is come to teach his people himself
by his Son, Heb. i., who bruises the serpent’s head, that
false teacher, that led Adam and Eve from God their Teacher.
God will teach his people by his Son, who was the Teacher
of Adam and Eve in paradise, before they fell and disobeyed
the Lord, forsook him, and followed the serpent; whose
head Christ bruises, and renews man and woman up again
into the image of God, which Adam and Eve were in before
352they fell: glory and honour be to God through Jesus Christ,
who hath called us by his Son into his glorious image, to serve
and worship him in Spirit and truth; which Holy Spirit and
truth the devil is out of, and into which he cannot come.
“I desire all Christian magistrates to take heed of persecuting
any, though they differ from you in matters of faith,
worship, and religion. For Christ saith, ‘Let the tares and
the wheat grow together till the harvest:’ and he forbade
such as would be plucking up tares: the reason was, ‘lest
they should pluck up the wheat also;’ for Christ said, it
should be his angels’ work, to separate the tares from the
wheat. Moreover, Christ said, they should go into everlasting
punishment that did not visit him in prison in his members;
then what will become of them that cast him into prison,
where he is made manifest in his members! O, lay these
things to heart! A day of judgment will come, vengeance
and recompense upon every one according to his
works.
“To those disciples who would have had fire to come
down from heaven to consume them that would not receive
them, Christ turned him about, rebuked them, and told
them, ‘they knew not what spirit they were of; for he came
not to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.’
“Therefore let all magistrates and priests in that which
is called Christendom, consider who have destroyed men’s
lives since the apostles’ days, because they could not receive
the religions, ways, and worships which they have made
and set up: have they known what spirit they have been of?
Are they not all reproved by, and come under the judgment
of Christ? Therefore let all persecution be laid aside concerning
religion; let love bear the sway, to overcome evil
and enemies; and let patience oversway passion in all, that
all may retain the heavenly reason, and the pure understanding,—that
your moderation in true Christianity may be known
to all men. For have you not the Turks, Jews, Tartars,
Indians, and atheists’ eyes upon you, and upon Christendom?
Therefore be in unity, and let not the name of God and Christ
be blasphemed amongst them by means of any that bear the
name of Christians. So God may be glorified by all and in all,
through Jesus Christ, who is over all, who calls all to peace,
and is blessed for ever.
“I would have you to be as noble as the Bereans, and
search the Scriptures of Christ and the apostles. Where did
he or they give any command to imprison, banish, persecute,
or put to death, any that would not receive or conform to
them, or that were contrary-minded to them in religion, or
differed from them in matters of worship?
353“Again, I desire all Christian magistrates to search both
Scriptures and Chronicles, and see what was the end of all
persecutors, and what judgments came upon them. What
came to Cain, who was the first persecutor for matters of
faith and sacrifice? Did not he become a vagabond and a
fugitive in the earth? What became of the old world, that
grieved God, and Noah, a preacher of righteousness? What
became of Sodom, that vexed just Lot? What became of
Pharaoh, that persecuted God’s people in Egypt (though the
more he persecuted them the more they grew?) What became
of Ahab and Jezebel, that persecuted the Lord’s
prophets? And what became of Haman, that would have
destroyed the Jews? What became of the Jews and
Jerusalem, that persecuted Christ and the apostles? What
was the end of all these? Are they not become vagabonds
in the earth, and driven away from their native country?
Therefore I beseech you in the love and fear of God, be so
noble as to search both Scripture and history, and let not
your divine understanding be clouded. What will become
of the beast and whore spoken of in the Revelations, with
their false prophets, that have drunk the blood of the saints,
martyrs, and prophets of Jesus? Must they not all go with
the devil, who is a murderer, destroyer, and adversary of
mankind, into the lake of fire, that burns with brimstone?
And ye may be sure that spirit that stirs you up to persecution,
let it be in whomsoever it will, is not of Christ, and of
his lamb-like nature; who takes away the sins of the world,
not the lives of men.
“Paul was a persecutor, and a haler to prison, before he
was converted to Christianity; but never after. And therefore,
are not all in Saul’s nature, let them be of what name
or profession soever, that are persecutors, and unconverted
into Paul’s life of Christianity? He said, the life that he
lived after he was converted, was ‘by the faith of the Son of
God;’ and that he lived, yet not he, but ‘Christ lived in
him,’ who came to save men’s lives, and not to destroy them.
This life should be the life of all Christians now, which Paul
in his converted state lived in. And the apostle saith, ‘The
law is good if a man use it lawfully; knowing this, that the
law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and
disobedient, for the ungodly, and for sinners, for unholy and
profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers,
for manslayers, for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves
with mankind, for men-stealers, for liars, and for perjured
persons,’ 1 Tim. i. 8-10. So the law, in its place, is
good against such.
“Again the apostle says, ‘The law was added because
354of transgression,’ Gal. iii. 19. Here all magistrates may see
what the law in its place is good against; what it was made
for and against; and what evils, the apostle says, it takes
hold of. He does not say the law should be laid upon men
that differed from them in their religion and judgment, nor
upon righteous men. So you may see in what condition the
law is good, and what it was made against; not against righteous
men, against whom ye have nothing in their lives and
conversations, only because they differ from you in matters
of religion; letting manslayers, whoremongers, perjured
persons, ungodly, profane persons, liars, &c., go unpunished;
such do not use, nor execute the law lawfully, as the apostle
says, ‘The law is good, if a man use it lawfully.’ Therefore it
ought to be used lawfully; which law, the apostle says, ‘is
for the punishment of evil-doers, and a praise for them that
do well;’ as may be seen, Rom. xiii. So, as the apostle said,
‘We do not break the law, nor make it void; but we establish
the law,’ (Rom. iii. 31.)
“This is from him who desires the eternal good and
salvation of you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.”
G. F.
Kingston-upon-Thames, the 4th of the 1st Month, 1680-1.
After I had finished these services I returned to London,
where I stayed about a month, labouring amongst Friends in
the work of the Lord, both in public meetings for worship,
and in those relating to the outward affairs of the church.
Then feeling my spirit drawn to visit Friends about Enfield,
I went to Waltham Abbey, where I had a very precious
meeting; and another at Flamstead Heath. Having
spent some time among Friends thereabouts, and had divers
good meetings at Edmonton, Enfield, Winchmore-Hill,
and other places, I came back to London a little before the
Yearly Meeting, which was in the 3rd month, 1681. It was
a very precious time, in which the glorious presence and
power of the Lord was eminently felt and enjoyed.
Some time after the Yearly Meeting it came upon me to
write the following epistle:—
“To the Men’s and Women’s Quarterly Meetings that
are gathered in the name and power of Jesus.”
“Christ, the second Adam, who is both Head and
Husband of his church, the Redeemer, Purchaser, Saviour,
355Sanctifier, and Reconciler of his sons and daughters (his
church) to God, I say, his presence (to wit, Christ’s) feel
among you, to exercise his prophetical office, in opening you
with his light, grace, truth, power, and Spirit; and to exercise
his office, as he is a Bishop, to oversee you with his light,
grace, power, and Spirit, that ye do not go astray from God.
And as Christ is a Shepherd, feel, see, and hear him exercising
that office, who laid down his life for his sheep, feeding
them in his living pastures of life, and making them to drink
of his living, eternal springs. Let Him rule and govern in
your hearts, as he is King, that his heavenly and spiritual
government all may live under, as true subjects of his righteous,
peaceable kingdom, which stands in righteousness,
peace, joy in the Holy Ghost, over Satan and his power, and
all unrighteousness. So all ye subjects to Christ’s kingdom
of peace, if ye want wisdom, or knowledge, life, or salvation,
Christ is the treasure; feel Him the treasure among you.
And all, as ye have received Christ, walk in him, in whom
ye have peace; who bruises the head of the serpent, the
author of all strife, distraction, and confusion: yea, you have
peace with God, and one with another, though the trouble be
from the world and the world’s spirit.
“Therefore“Therefore, my dear Friends, brethren and sisters, love
one another with the love that is of God shed in your hearts;
that ye may bear the marks of Christ’s disciples, and it may
appear that Christ is in you, and ye in Him; so that God
Almighty may be glorified among you. Whatever ye do, let
it be done in the name of Jesus, to the praise of God the
Father, keeping in unity in the Holy Spirit of God, which
was before the unholy spirit was: which Holy Spirit is your
bond of peace, yea, the Holy King of kings’ and Lord of
lords’ peace. And in this holy, pure Spirit is your eternal
unity and fellowship; in which ye serve and worship the
God of Truth, who is over all, blessed for ever, Amen. So
the Lord guide you all with his Word of patience, life, power,
and wisdom, in all your actions, lives, conversations, and
meetings, to God’s glory. My love to you all in the Lord
Jesus Christ, by whom all things were made, and who is
over all, the First and the Last.”
G. F.
London, the 9th of the 4th Month, 1681.
About this time I had occasion to go to several of the
judges’ chambers upon a suit about tithes. For my wife and
I and several other Friends, were sued in Cartmel-Wapentake
Court in Lancashire, for small tithes, and we had demurred
to the jurisdiction of that court. Whereupon the plaintiff
356prosecuted us in the Exchequer Court at Westminster, where
they run us up to a writ of rebellion, for not answering the
bill upon oath; and got an order of court to the sergeant, to
take me and my wife into custody. This was a little before
the Yearly Meeting, at which time it was thought they would
have taken me up; and according to outward appearance, it
was likely, and very easy for him to have done it, lodging at
the places where I used to do, and being very public in
meetings. But the Lord’s power was over them, and restrained
them; so that they did not take me. Yet understanding
there was a warrant out against me, as soon as the
Yearly Meeting was over, I took William Mead with me, and
went to several of the judges’ chambers, to speak with them
about it; and to let them understand both the state of the
case, and the ground and reason of our refusing to pay
tithes.
The first I went to was Judge Gregory, to whom I
tendered mine and my wife’s answer to the plaintiff’s bill;
in which was set forth, that she had lived three and forty
years at Swarthmore, and in all that time there had been no
tithe paid or demanded: and an old man, who had long been
a tithe-gatherer, had made affidavit, that he never gathered
tithe at Swarthmore-Hall in Judge Fell’s time, or since.
There were many particulars in our answer, but it would not
be accepted without an oath. I told the judge that both
tithe and swearing among Christians came from the Pope,
and it was matter of conscience to us not to pay tithes, nor to
swear; for Christ bid his disciples, who had freely received,
give freely; and he commanded them “not to swear at all.”
The judge said, there was tithe paid in England before
Popery was: I asked him by what law or statute they were
paid then; but he was silent. Then I told him, there were
eight poor men brought up to London out of the North about
two hundred miles for small tithes, and one of them had no
family but himself and his wife, and kept no living creature
but a cat. I asked him also, whether they could take a man
357and his wife, and imprison them both for small tithes, and
so destroy a family; and if they could, I desired to know by
what law: he did not answer me, but only said, “that was a
hard case.”
When I found there was no help to be had there, we
left him, and went to Judge Montague’s chamber; and with
him I had much discourse concerning tithes. Whereupon
he sent for our adversary’s attorney; and when he came I
offered him our answer. He said, if we would pay the
charges of the court, and be bound to stand trial, and abide
the judgment of the court, we should not have the oath
tendered to us. I told him that they had brought those
charges upon us, by requiring us to put in our answer upon
oath; which they knew before we could not do for conscience’
sake; and as we could not pay any tithe nor swear, so neither
should we pay any of their charges. Upon this he would not
receive our answer. So we went from thence to Judge
Atkyns’s chamber, and he being busy, we gave our answers
and our reasons against tithes and swearing to his clerk; but
neither could we find any encouragement from him to expect
redress there. Wherefore leaving him we went to one
of the most noted counsellors, and showed him the state of
our case and our answers: he was very civil to us, and said,
“this way of proceeding against us was somewhat like an
inquisition.”
A few days after, those eight poor Friends that were
brought up so far out of the North, appeared before the
judges; and the Lord was with them, and his power was
over the court, so that the Friends were not committed to
the Fleet. Our cause was put off till the next term (called
Michaelmas), and then it was brought before the four judges
again. Then William Mead told the judges that I had
engaged not to meddle with my wife’s estate. The judges
could hardly believe that any man would do so: whereupon
he showed them the writing under my hand and seal, at
which they wondered. Then two of the judges and some of
358the lawyers stood up, and pleaded for me, that I was not
liable to the tithes: but the other two judges and divers
lawyers, pressed earnestly to have me sequestered; alleging
that I was a public man. At length they prevailed with one
of the other two judges to join with them; and then they
granted a sequestration against me and my wife together.
Thereupon, by advice of counsel, we moved for a limitation,
which was granted, and that much defeated our adversary’s
design in suing out the sequestration; for this limited the
plaintiff to take no more than was proved. One of the judges,
Baron Weston, was very bitter, and broke forth in a great
rage against me in the open court; but shortly after he died.
After the Yearly Meeting, I tarried about a month in
London; and then went into Sussex, to visit Friends there,
amongst whom I had many large and very precious meetings
in divers parts of that county. Yet I spent not much time
now in Sussex, but returned pretty soon to London, whither
I felt drawings in spirit; and had very good service for the
Lord there, both in public meetings and amongst Friends.
When I had tarried some time in London, I went to Edmonton;
thence into Buckinghamshire, where I visited
Friends at several meetings in that county: and then went
by Henley to Reading, where I tarried several meetings.
I went no farther westward at this time than to Oare, where I
had a very large meeting; after which, striking through the
edge of Oxfordshire, I had a large and very precious meeting
at Warborough, in which the glory of the Lord shone
over all. Many Friends came to it out of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire,
and Hampshire.
Thence I passed to Ilmer in the vale of Buckinghamshire,
where we had a glorious meeting; and the day following
I returned to Mary Penington’s, visiting the men’s and
women’s monthly meetings at Hunger-Hill, and some other
meetings thereabouts; and then passed to Watford, where
was a marriage of two Friends, at which I was present. A
very large meeting we had on that occasion, and the Lord’s
359power was over all. I went from Watford to Longford
in Middlesex, visiting Friends at Uxbridge in the way.
At Longford we had a large meeting on First-day, and the
presence of the Lord was preciously felt amongst us; blessed
be his name! I passed from Longford to Kingston, visiting
Friends as I went, at Staines and Sunbury. At Kingston
I abode with Friends two meetings, wherein we were sweetly
refreshed together in the Lord. Passing thence towards
London, I had a very precious meeting at Wandsworth:
then crossing over to Hammersmith, I had a good meeting
there, which was larger on account of a burial; and there
being openness in the people, I had a fine opportunity to
open the way of truth amongst them.
After I was come to London, I was moved to write the
following paper, concerning that spirit which had led some,
who professed truth, into strife and division, and to oppose
the way and work of the Lord:—
“Friends,
“You that keep your habitations in the truth, that is
over all, see that it is the same spirit that leads the back-sliders
and apostates now, from the spiritual fellowship and
unity of God’s people, and the church of Christ, that led
Adam and Eve from God, and the Jews from God and his
law, to rebel against his Spirit. This spirit is the same that
was in the world, which got into the Jews, when they were
gone from the Spirit of God; and then they turned against
God and his prophets, and against Christ and his apostles.
This spirit led them to be as bad as Pilate, or worse. The
enmity or adversary got within them against the truth, and
them that walked in it, and the Spirit of the Lord; so that
they killed and destroyed the Just. This was the spirit of
the devil, the destroyer, who sought not only to destroy the
truth, but the order of it, and them that walked in it, when
true Christianity was planted among the possessors of the
light, grace, and truth, and the holy gospel faith and Spirit,
who enjoyed Christ in their hearts. But when some began
to err from the Spirit and faith, to hate the light, disobey the
gospel, turn the grace of God into wantonness, walk despitefully
against the Spirit of Grace, turn from the truth, crucify
to themselves Christ afresh, and put him to open shame;
these were they, that let in the spirit of the world; who held
360the form of godliness, but denied the power thereof; and
troubled the churches in the apostles’ days. When the spirit
of Satan had got into such, they were more troublesome to
the church than the open persecutors that were without:
these got into the assemblies to deceive the hearts of the
simple, having the good words, fair speeches, and sheep’s
clothing. Paul, Peter, John, Jude, and James had much to
do with such, to keep them from troubling the church of
Christ; for they are out of the light, power, and Spirit;
therefore the apostles of Christ exhorted the saints to keep
to the Word of life within; to the anointing; to the grace,
truth, and Holy Spirit in their hearts. This foul spirit will
profess all the Scriptures in words; but by the Spirit of God,
which is holy, this spirit is tried, and its fruits. So the
apostates went from the power and Spirit of God, and turned
against the prophets, and the martyrs of Jesus; and became
the whore, whose cup all nations drank of. The dragon
with his tail threw down many of the stars, and would have
devoured the woman with his flood; but the woman, the
true church, was preserved; for the gates of hell cannot prevail
against her; and then the dragon made war with her
seed. So the dragon, the whore, the beast, and false prophets,
all made war against the Lamb and the saints; but
the Lamb and the saints will overcome them all, and will
have the victory.
“And now the everlasting gospel is preached again to all
nations, tongues, and peoples; and many are gathered into
the gospel, the power of God, are turned to the light, which
is the life in Christ, are grafted into him, and are come to
walk in the order of the new covenant of light and life, in
the gospel of peace and salvation. The same spirit that opposed
the apostles and the churches in their days, opposes
now; yea, it is the same that opposed Christ, and disdained
him, that disdaineth God’s servants now. The same that
opposed the prophets, and rebelled against Moses, opposes
and rebels against God’s servants and people now. It is the
same dark, blind, disobedient, faithless, wilful, jealous spirit,
that persecutes some with the hands, and others with the
tongue. It is the same spirit of enmity, the adversary and
destroyer, that tempted Adam and Eve to disobey God, and
deceived them; which deceived the Jews and tempted them,
and deceived all those that went from the church in the
apostles’ days. And it is the same spirit that is now going
about sometimes like a roaring lion, sometimes like a twisting
serpent to tempt, to deceive, and to devour, in those who
have fair speeches, good words, and sheep’s clothing, in a
form of godliness, and under pretence of light and liberty,
361but who deny the power thereof, and inwardly are ravening
wolves; and if it were possible, they would deceive the very
elect. But the elect are in the covenant of light and life,
and in the power of God over them, and in Christ, who will
grind them to pieces; and will slay all his enemies with his
spiritual sword, who will not have him to rule over, or in
them.
“In Christ all his people have rest and peace, who is
their sanctuary over all storms and tempests. In Christ, the
sanctuary, no deceiver nor destroyer can come; for he is a
place of sweet rest and safety. Hallelujah! praise the Lord
for his sanctuary. Amen.”
G.F.
Sufferings continuing severe upon Friends at London,
I found my service lay mostly there; wherefore I went but
little out of town, and not far; being frequent at the most
public meetings, to encourage Friends, both by word and
example, to stand fast in the testimony to which God has
called them. At other times I went about from house to
house, visiting Friends that had their goods taken away for
their testimony to truth. And because the wicked informers
were grown very audacious, by reason that they had too
much countenance and encouragement from some justices,
who, trusting wholly to their information, proceeded against
Friends without hearing them; whereby many were made
to suffer, not only contrary to right, but even contrary to
law also; I advised with some Friends about it; and we
drew up a paper, which was delivered to most of the magistrates
in and about the city; which was as follows:—
“Whereas informers have obtained warrants of some
justices of peace, who have convicted many of us without a
hearing, or once summoning us to appear before them; by
which proceedings many have had their goods seized and
taken away, being generally fined ten pounds each for an
unknown speaker; and some of those persons so fined, have
not been at the meetings they were fined for; and the
speaker notwithstanding has himself been fined for the same
meeting, the same day the others were fined for the unknown
speaker. By this the justices may see the wickedness of
these informers, by whose false oaths we have been convicted
for an unknown preacher, when the preacher has been
362both known and fined. Also in their swearing such persons
to have been at such a meeting such a day, when indeed
they, whom they have so sworn against, have not been at
that meeting. By which proceedings several families of
the king’s peaceable subjects are likely to be ruined, if a
speedy stop be not put thereunto.
“Therefore we hope and desire, that you, the king’s
justices, for the time to come, when any informers shall come
to any of you with information against any of us, will
summon such as are accused to appear before you, and hear
us and our accusers face to face; that none for the time to
come may suffer for that they are not guilty of. For Pilate
the governor heard Christ and his accusers, face to face,
before he condemned him, (John xix.) The council and
chief priests heard Stephen and his accusers, with the witnesses
that were brought against him, face to face, before
they condemned him, (Acts vii.) The Roman captain heard
Paul and his accusers face to face (Acts xxiii.) Felix the
governor heard Paul, and Ananias the high priest, and the
elders that accused Paul, face to face (Acts xxiv.) And
when the high priests and chief of the Jews accused Paul to
Festus, he heard Paul and his accusers, and them that witnessed
against him, face to face (Acts xxv.) Doth the law
of God, or did the Roman law, or doth the law of the land
judge any man, before he and his accusers, and they that
witness against him, be heard face to face?”
This somewhat moderated the justices; and after this
several Friends, that had been illegally prosecuted and fined,
entered their appeals; and upon trial were acquitted, and
the informers cast: which was a great discouragement to the
informers, and some relief to Friends.
A little before the time for choosing new sheriffs for
the city, they who put up to be chosen desiring our Friends
to give their voices for them, I wrote a few lines, tending
to discover what spirit they were of, and how they stood
affected to true liberty; and it was by way of inquiry,
thus:—
“Do any here in London, who stand to be chosen
sheriffs, own that Christ, that was crucified without the gates
of Jerusalem, to be the light of the world, that ‘enlightens
every man that cometh into the world,’ who saith, ‘Believe
in the light, that ye may become children of light?’ Are
any of you against persecuting people for their religion and
363worship of God in spirit and in truth, as Christ commandeth?
For Christ, said, ‘I am not of this world, nor my kingdom;’
therefore he doth not uphold his spiritual worship and pure
religion with worldly and carnal weapons. Christ said,
‘Swear not at all;’all;’ and his apostle James saith the same;
but will not you force us to swear, and so to break Christ’s
and his apostle’s commands, in putting oaths to us? Christ
saith to his apostles, ‘Freely ye have received, freely give.’
Will not you force us to give tithes and maintenance to such
teachers as we know God hath not sent? Shall we be free
to serve and worship God, and keep his and his Son’s commands,
if we give our voices freely for you? For we are unwilling
to give our voices for such as will imprison and
persecute us, and spoil our goods.”
But whatever they were that stood to be chosen, I observed
heat and strife in the spirits of the people that were
to choose; wherefore I wrote a few lines to be spread
amongst them, directed thus:—
“To the People who are choosing Sheriffs in London.”
“People,—All keep in the gentle and peaceable wisdom
of God, which is above all that which is earthly, sensual, and
devilish; and live in that love of God that is not puffed up,
nor is unseemly; which envieth not, but beareth and endureth
all things. In this love ye will seek the good and
peace of all, and the hurt of no man. Keep out of all heats,
and be not hot-headed; but be cool and gentle, that your
Christian moderation may appear to all men; for the Lord
is at hand, who beholds all men’s words, thoughts, and
actions, and will reward every one according to his works;
and what every man soweth, that shall he reap.”
Now I had some inclination to go into the country to a
meeting, but hearing that there would be a bustle at our
meetings, and feeling a great disquietness in people’s spirits
in the city about choosing sheriffs, it was upon me to stay
in the city, and go to the meeting in Gracechurch Street
upon the First-day of the week. William Penn went with
me, and spoke; and while he was declaring the truth to the
people, a constable came in with his great staff, and bid him
give over, and come down; but he continued, declaring
truth in the power of God. After a while the constable drew
back, and when William Penn had done, I stood up, and
364declared to the people “the everlasting gospel, which was
preached in the apostles’ days, and to Abraham; and which
the church in the apostles’ days received, and came to be heirs
of. This gospel, I declared, was sent from heaven by the
Holy Ghost in the apostles’ days, and is so now; and was
not of man, neither by man; but by the revelation of the
Holy Ghost. And now this gospel is preached again (as John
saw, and said it should be) to all nations, tongues, and people;
and all people now are to hear Christ the prophet, in this his
gospel of the new covenant. For as Moses said, ‘Like unto
me will God raise up a prophet, and Him shall ye hear in all
things;’ so, said I, this prophet, Christ, is come, and all the
Jews in spirit, the true believing Christians in the light, who
have the law of God written in their hearts, and put into
their minds, are to hear Christ in his gospel, new testament,
and new covenant, which is the law of the spirit of life in
Christ Jesus, who bruises the serpent’s head (which is the
head of enmity), and makes free from the law of sin and
death. I showed, that all whom Christ quickens and makes
alive, he makes to sit together in the heavenly places in himself.
So that they do not wander up and down, like the fool’s
eye, in the corners of the earth; nor are their eyes abroad in
the world, to sit down in the world’s invented seats of religion;
but they sit together in Him, as the saints did in the apostles’
days. So Christ was and is their treasure of wisdom, life,
knowledge and salvation.”
As I was thus speaking, two constables came in with their
great staves, and bid me give over speaking and come down;
but, feeling the power of the Lord with me, I spoke on
therein, both to the constables and to the people. To the
constables I declared, “that we were a peaceable people,
who meet to wait upon God, and worship him in spirit and
in truth; and therefore they needed not to come with their
staves amongst us, who were met in a peaceable manner, desiring
and seeking the good and salvation of all people.”
Then turning my speech to the people again, I declared
365what further was upon me to them; and while I was speaking
the constables drew out towards the door; and the soldiers
stood with their muskets in the yard. When I had done
speaking, I kneeled down and prayed, desiring the Lord to
open the eyes and hearts of all people, both high and low,
that their minds might be turned to God by his Holy Spirit;
that he might be glorified in all and over all. After prayer
the meeting rose, and Friends passed away; the constables
being come in again, but without the soldiers: and indeed,
both they and the soldiers carried themselves civilly.
William Penn and I went into a room hard by, as we
used to do, and many Friends went with us; and lest the
constables should think we would shun them, a Friend went
down and told them, that if they would have anything with
us, they might come where we were, if they pleased. One of
them came to us soon after, but without his staff; which he
chose to do, that he might not be observed; for he said, the
people told him he busied himself more than he needed. We
desired to see his warrant; and therein we found, that the
informer was one Hilton, a North-countryman, who was reputed
to be a Baptist. The constable was asked, whether he
would arrest us by his warrant on that day; it being the
First-day of the week, which in their law was called the Lord’s
day; he said, he thought he could not. He told us also, that
he had charged the informer to come along with him to the
meeting, but he had run away from him. We showed the
constable that both he and we were clear; yet to free him
from all fear of danger, we were free to go to the alderman
that granted the warrant. Then a Friend that was present
said, he would go with the constable to speak with the alderman;
which they did, and came presently back again, the
alderman being gone from home. Seeing the constable in a
strait, and finding him to be a tender man, we bid him fix an
hour to come to us again, or send for us, and we would come
to him. So he appointed five in the afternoon; but neither
came, nor sent for us; and a Friend meeting him afterwards
366in the evening, the constable told him, he thought it would
come to nothing, and therefore did not look after us. So the
Lord’s power was over all; to him be the glory!
On the Fourth-day following, it was upon me to go to
Gracechurch Street meeting again; for I had heard that they
would come to break it up that day. The neighbours, it seems,
were informed so; a justice had granted a warrant for that
purpose, and the constable told a Friend, that Hilton the informer
had been with him about it. The constable would
have had the informer to go with him to the meeting, but he
would not; but would have the constable to go without him;
whether that put the constable by, I know not; but he did
not come. I was in a travail of spirit in the power of God,
and was moved in it to go to the meeting; and the Lord’s
power chained all down. Though they threatened to bring
the red coats, none came, nor was there any disturbance; but
a glorious, powerful meeting it was, and very peaceable.
Glory, honour, and praises be to the Lord over all for ever.
Amen!
During the time I thus abode at London, as I had leisure
between meetings, and from other public services, I wrote
divers books and papers, some of which were printed, and
others spread about in manuscript. Of these, one was directed
“To the bishops and others, that stirred up persecution; to
show them from the Holy Scriptures that they did not walk
therein according to the royal law, ‘to love their neighbour
as themselves, and to do to others as they would be done
unto.’”
Another was, “To all the several sorts of professed Christians,
as well Protestants as Papists, whose religion and worship
stand in outward observances and ceremonies; pressing
them from those words of the apostle Paul to the Galatians,
chap. v. ver. 2-4, ‘Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be
circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify
again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to
the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever
367of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace,’
to consider whether they, being gone back into legal observations
and shadowy ceremonies (in upholding tithes, offerings,
first-fruits, priests’ garments, outward altars, temples, lamps,
lights, &c., and in observing days, months, times, years, with
many other things commanded by the law), were not gone
into the same state that the Galatians were running into; and
so were fallen from grace, and become debtors to do the whole
law.”
Another was, “To direct and turn all people to the Spirit
of God, that they might thereby receive a right understanding,
and be able to distinguish between right and wrong, truth
and error; that under pretence of punishing evil-doers,
they might not themselves do evil in persecuting the righteous.”
That paper, being short, is here inserted:—
“The Spirit of God, which he hath poured upon all,
giveth an understanding to all who are led by it; and to
those who do not quench the motions of it, it giveth knowledge
and understanding to distinguish good from evil, light
from darkness, Christ from antichrist, the old testament or
covenant from the new, the old way from the new and living
way; the sheep and lambs from the goats and wolves; the
worship of God, which Christ set up above sixteen hundred
years ago, from the dragon’s and beast’s worship; and all them
that worship the works of men’s hands, and the will-worshippers,
from them that worship God in his Spirit and in his
truth, in which God’s people worship him; which worship
is over all false worships and worshippers. They who believe
in the light, which is the life in Christ, become the children
of light, and are the lambs of Jesus. These lambs follow the
Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world; and
they will not follow the hirelings, nor the strangers, to be led
into strange ways, doctrines, religions, worships, and churches;
for the lambs of Christ follow Christ, the Lamb of God, and
know his heavenly voice. They know also, that they who
are without Christ are dogs and wolves, adulterers, idolaters,
liars, and unbelievers, who would devour the lambs; but
these are in the hand of the Lord, which is his power, that is
over all. Such do good in his power unto all; for they have
the mind of Christ, who would have all to come to the knowledge
of the truth, and be saved. They that do good to all,
do hurt to none; for that spirit that doth hurt to any, is not
368of God; but that spirit which doth good to all, and especially
to the household of faith, is of God. Christ came not to destroy
men’s lives, but to save them: it is the devil that is the
destroyer of men’s lives about religion, that corrupts men, and
makes them deaf and blind to the things of God, and to halt
out of God’s way. They that obey the evil one and forsake
the Lord, such the destroyer doth destroy; but Christ destroys
that destroyer; and in Christ all have life.”
G. F.
I wrote another paper also concerning meditation, delight,
exercise, and study; showing from the Scriptures of
truth, what the true Christians ought to meditate upon, and
to exercise their minds in; what they should take delight in,
and what they should study to do. For in these things, not
the profane and loose people only, but even the great professors
of religion are very much mistaken; taking delight
in earthly, fading, perishing things; whereas they ought to
meditate on heavenly things, delight in the law of God after
the inward man, and exercise themselves to have always “a
conscience void of offence towards God, and towards men,”
as the apostle Paul did.
As sufferings continued very sore and heavy upon Friends,
not only in the city but in most parts of the nation, I drew
up a paper to be presented to the king; setting forth our
grievances, and desiring redress from him in those particular
cases which I understood were in his power. But not having
relief from him, it came upon me to write an epistle to Friends,
to encourage them in their sufferings, that they might bear
with patience the many exercises that were brought upon
them, both from the outward magistrates, and by false brethren
and apostates, whose wicked books and filthy slanders
grieved the upright-hearted. This epistle I wrote at Dalston,
whither I went to visit an ancient Friend that lay sick:—
“Friends and brethren in Christ Jesus, whom the Lord
hath called and gathered into himself, in him abide; for
without him ye can do nothing, and through him ye can do
all things. He is your strength and support in all your trials,
temptations, imprisonments, and sufferings, who for Christ’s
sake are accounted as sheep for the slaughter: in all these
369things we are more than conquerors, through Christ who
hath loved us. And therefore, Friends, though you suffer by
the outward powers, ye know that the prophets, Christ, and
the apostles, suffered by the unconverted. And though ye
suffer by false brethren and false apostates for a time, and by
their filthy books and tongues; whose tongues indeed are
become no slander, let them speak, write, or print what they
will; for the sober people even of the world hardly regard
it: it is well they have manifested themselves to the world,
that their folly may proceed no farther. Though, to the utmost
of their power, they have showed their wicked intent,
to stir up the magistrates, professors, and profane against us,
and to speak evil of the way of truth, God’s judgments will
overtake them, and come upon them, as sure as they have
come upon those that are gone before them. Let their pretence
be ever so high, mark their end; for they will fall like
untimely figs, and wither like the grass upon the top of the
house. Though they may seem to flourish, and make a boast
and a noise for a time, yet the Seed is on the head of such,
and will grind them to powder; which Seed bruises the serpent’s
head. Therefore in this Seed, Christ, who is your
sanctuary, rest, peace, and quiet habitation, who is the First
and the Last, and over all, in Him walk; for the Lord
taketh pleasure in his people that are faithful, that serve and
worship him. Therefore let the saints be joyful in glory;
and the God of peace, ‘the God of all grace, who hath called
us into his eternal glory by Jesus Christ, after that ye have
suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle
you.’ Cast all your care upon the Lord, for he careth for
you.
“And, dearly beloved, think it not strange concerning
the fiery trial that is to try you, as though some strange thing
had happened unto you; for it is better, if the will of God be
so, that ye suffer for well-doing, than for evil-doing: and
rejoice, inasmuch as ye are made partakers of Christ’s sufferings.
Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will
of God, commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing,
as unto a faithful Creator; for unto you is given, in
the behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to
suffer for his sake. So it is given, or is a gift from Christ, to
suffer for his name; and therefore rejoice, inasmuch as ye
are made partakers of Christ’s sufferings. If ye be reproached,
or evil spoken of for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for
the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their
part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
Therefore, if any suffer as Christians, let them not be ashamed;
but let them glorify God on this behalf; though now for a
370season ye are in sufferings, and trials, and temptations, that
the trial of your faith, being much more precious than that
of gold, which perishes, though it be tried with fire, may be
found unto praise, honour, and glory, who are kept by the
power of God, through faith, unto salvation. Therefore
mind your Keeper, wherever ye are, or what sufferings
soever ye be in; and mind the example of the apostle, how
he suffered trouble as an evil-doer unto bonds. But the
Word of God is not bound, which is everlasting and endures
for ever; and they who are in that which is not everlasting,
and doth not endure for ever, cannot bind the Word. The
apostle said, I endure all things for the elect’s sake, that they
may also obtain the salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with
eternal glory (mark, with eternal glory). And if we suffer
with Christ, we shall reign with Christ, who abide faithful.
“Therefore“Therefore strive not about words to no profit, but shun
profane and vain babblings, for they will increase unto more
ungodliness; that ye may be vessels of honour, sanctified
and meet for Christ your Master’s use, and prepared unto
every good work. Follow after righteousness, godliness,
faith, love, patience, and meekness. Fight the good fight of
faith with your heavenly weapons; which faith is victory
(or gives victory) by which ye lay hold on eternal life, and
have access unto God, ‘who will render to every man according
to his deeds; to them who, by patient continuing in
well-doing, seek for glory, and honour, and immortality,
eternal life; but unto them that are contentious, and do not
obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and
wrath, tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that
doeth evil; but glory, honour, and peace to every man that
worketh good.’ Christ said to his disciples, ‘If the world
hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If
ye were of the world, the world would love its own; but
because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out
of the world, therefore the world hateth you.’ And, ‘If
they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.’ And
John, in his general epistle to the church, saith, ‘Marvel not,
my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have
passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.’
And Christ, in his prayer to his Father, saith of his followers,
‘As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I
also sent them into the world; and the glory which thou
gavest me I have given them, that they may be one, even as
we are one.’one.’ And, therefore, all ye that know God and Jesus
Christ, whom to know is eternal life, and are partakers of his
glory, keep the testimony of Jesus, and be valiant for his
371truth upon earth, that ye may be all settled upon Christ, the
rock and foundation.”
G.F.
Dalston, the 3rd of the 8th Month, 1682.
I made but little stay at Dalston, but returned to London,
where I continued most part of the winter, labouring
in the service of truth amongst Friends; save that I was a
little while at Kingston, in the 10th month of this year,
where I wrote a book, setting forth “The state of the birth
temporal, and the birth spiritual; and the duty and state of
a child, youth, young men, aged men, and fathers in the
truth,” &c. But I stayed not long at Kingston, for the heat
of persecution still continuing, I felt my service to be chiefly
at London; where our meetings were for the most part disturbed
and broken up, or Friends were forced to meet without
doors, being kept out of their meeting-houses by the
officers. Yet sometimes, beyond expectation, we got a quiet
and peaceable meeting in the houses. One time I intended
to go a mile or two out of town, to visit a Friend that was
not well; but hearing that the king had sent to the mayor to
put the laws in execution against Dissenters, and that the
magistrates thereupon intended to nail up the meeting-house
doors, I had not freedom to go out of town, but was moved
to go to the meeting in Gracechurch Street; and notwithstanding
all the threats, a great meeting it was, and very
quiet; the glory of the Lord shone over all.
The same week I went to the meeting at The Peel in
John’s Street; and the sessions were holden the same day at
Hicks’s-Hall. I went to The Peel in the morning; and
William Mead being to appear at the sessions-house for not
going to the steeple-house worship, came once or twice from
Hicks’s-Hall to me at The Peel; which some ill-minded
people observing, went and informed the justices at the
bench, that he was gone to a meeting at The Peel. Whereupon
the justices sent a messenger to see if there was a
meeting; but this being in the forenoon, there was none; so
the messenger, when he had looked about, went back and
372told them. Then others informed the justices that there
would be one there in the afternoon; whereupon they sent
for the chief constable, and asked him “why he suffered a
meeting to be at The Peel, so near him?” He told them,
“he did not know of any meeting there.” They asked him,
“how he could not know, and live so near it?” He said,
“he was never there in his life, and did not know that there
was a meeting there.” They would have persuaded him
that he must needs know of it; but he standing steadfast in
the denial of it, they said, “they should take order to have
it looked after in the afternoon.” But a multitude of business
coming before them at the sessions, when dinner time
came, they hastened to it, without giving order, and when
they came to the bench again after dinner, the Lord put it
out of their minds, so that they sent no officer. The meeting
was quiet, beginning and ending in peace; and a blessed
one we had, the Lord’s presence being preciously amongst
us. Many Friends had a concern upon their minds, when
they saw me come into the meeting, lest I should be taken;
but I was freely given up to suffer, if it was the Lord’s will,
before I went to the meeting; and had nothing in my mind
concerning it but the Lord’s glory. I do believe the Lord
put it out of their minds, that they should not send to break
up our meeting that day. Yet the First-day after, three or
four justices (as I heard) came to The Peel, and put Friends
out of their meeting there, and kept them out; and inquired
for William Mead,[56] but he was not there.
That day I was moved to go to Gracechurch Street373meeting; and it was expected that the officers would come
to break it up, or keep Friends out; and many hundreds of
people came to see what would be done to us. But the
officers came not; so we were in peace and quietness; and
many of the people that came to look on, stayed all the time;
and a glorious, precious meeting we had; for the Lord’s
presence was plentifully amongst us, and his power came
over all; glory to his name for ever, who is over all!
I had seen the mayor’s printed speech for putting the
laws in execution against Dissenters; and it was much in
my mind that we should draw up a paper to send to the
mayor and aldermen, to clear ourselves from being such, as
those laws were made against; and to set forth our peaceable
behaviour both towards the king and the government. Accordingly
a paper was drawn up and signed, and delivered
to the mayor; copies of which were also delivered to the
aldermen, and the bishop of London, who generally took it
kindly, and were civil to the Friends that delivered it.
About this time I was moved to write the few lines
following to Friends:—
“Feel the power of God in you all, and over all, and
by it let your hearts be united to one another, and to the
Lord God who hath gathered you to himself, by his power
and Spirit, to be a people to serve and worship him. So that
you may all strive to excel one another in virtue, and in that
love that beareth all things, and edifieth 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. 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 the 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 on earth; who is the faithful and true
witness in male and female. 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
374place among them to lay his head; He is your rest. So in
him is my love to you all,”
G. F.
London, the 20th of the 11th Month, 1682.
Not long after this, I received an account by letter, from
some Friends, that were prisoners at Denbigh, in Wales, 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, after this manner:—
“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. Look at Him, who
suffered for you, who 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, 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. They that will live godly
in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution by the ungodly professors
of Christ Jesus, who live out of him. 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 his apostles, who suffered, and were persecuted;
but they were never persecuted as true men, but as deceivers,
and yet true. 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 (since 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
Davies,[57] that some of that side may go and visit you,
375and see what your condition is. My love is to you in the
Lord, who is your alone support.”
G. F.
London, the 27th of the 11th Month, 1682.
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; yet sometimes Friends
were fined for speaking or praying, though it was abroad.
One First-day it was upon me to go to Devonshire House
meeting in the afternoon; 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 sooner, and got into
the yard before the soldiers came to guard the passages; but
the constables were there before me, and stood in the doorway
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 forbade 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 wished him to
let him alone; the constable did so, and was quiet; and the
man did not speak long.
After he had done, 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 goodwill to the king and
magistrates, and to all people upon the earth. 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. We had Christ to be our
Bishop, Priest, and Shepherd to feed us, and oversee us, and
he ruled in our hearts; so we could all sit in silence, enjoying
376our teacher; so to Christ, their Bishop and Shepherd, I
recommended them all.” I then sat down; and after a while
I was moved to pray, and the power of the Lord was over
all; and the people, the constables, and soldiers, put off their
hats. 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 their goods taken from them for worshipping
God. 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.
Next First-day it was upon me to go to the meeting at
the Savoy; and by the time it was gathered the beadle came
in; and after him 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 12th month, 1682.
In the 1st month, 1683, I went to Kingston-upon-Thames;
and it being then a time of persecution, as I went
to the meeting, I met the chief constable, who had been at the
meeting-place, and had set watchmen there to keep us out;
yet he was pretty civil, and the watchmen let Friends have
a couple of forms out, to sit upon in the highway; so we
met together there, and a very precious meeting we had; for
the refreshing presence of the Lord was with us, in which
we parted in peace.
Having visited and encouraged Friends there, I returned
to London, and went to the meeting at the Bull-and-Mouth,
377where the constables with their watchmen kept a guard, to
keep Friends out of the house. So we met in the street;
and when any Friend spoke, the officers and watchmen
made a great bustle to pull him down, and take him into
custody. After some other Friends had spoken, it was upon
me to speak; and I said, “Heaven is God’s throne, and earth
is his footstool; and will ye not let us stand upon God’s
footstool to worship, and serve the living God?” While I
spoke they were quiet; and after I had cleared myself, we
broke up our meeting in peace. This was on the Sixth-day
of the week.
On the First-day following I was moved to go to the
meeting at Gracechurch Street. When I came there, I
found a guard set at the entrance in Lombard Street, and
another at the gate in Gracechurch Street, to keep Friends
out of the meeting-place; so we had to meet in the street.
After some time I got a chair, stood up on it, and spoke
largely to the people, “opening the principles of truth to
them, and declaring many weighty truths concerning
magistracy, and concerning the Lord’s prayer.” There were,
besides Friends, a great multitude of people, and amongst
them many professors; all was very quiet; for the Lord’s
power was over all, and in his time we broke up our meeting,
and departed in peace.
The next day I went to Guildford in Surrey; and
having visited Friends there, passed to Worminghurst in
Sussex, where I had a very blessed meeting among Friends,
free from disturbance. While I was there, James Claypole,
of London (who was there with his wife also,) was suddenly
taken ill with so violent a fit of the stone, that he could
neither stand nor lie; but, through the extremity of pain,
cried out. When I heard it, I was much exercised in spirit
for him; and went to him. After I had spoken a few words
to him, to turn his mind inward, I was moved to lay my
hand upon him, and prayed the Lord to rebuke his infirmity.
As I laid my hand on him, the Lord’s power went through
378him; and through faith in that power he had speedy ease, so
that he quickly fell into a sleep. When he awoke, he was
so relieved and well, that next day he rode with me five-and-twenty
miles in a coach; though he used formerly (as he
said) to lie sometimes two weeks, sometimes a month, in one
of those fits. But the Lord was entreated for him, and by
his power soon gave him ease at this time; blessed and
praised be his holy name therefor!
After I had had some meetings in Sussex and Surrey,
and had visited Friends thereaway, I returned to London by
Kingston, where I had a meeting on the 1st of the 2nd
month, being First-day. We were kept out of the meetinghouse
by a constable and watchmen, as before, and so were
obliged to meet in the highway. But it being the monthly
meeting day, and many people being there, the meeting was
pretty large, and very quiet; and the Lord’s blessed presence
was amongst us; blessed be his name for ever!
Being come to London, I went to the meeting at
Wheeler Street, near Spitalfields, which that day proved
very large; and a glorious, blessed time it was; for the
Lord’s power and truth were over all, and many deep and
weighty things were opened to the people, to their great
satisfaction. I tarried in and near London, visiting Friends’
meetings, and labouring in the service of the gospel, till the
Yearly Meeting came on, which began on the 28th of the 3rd
month.
It was a time of great sufferings; and much concerned
I was, lest Friends that came up out of the country on the
church’s service, should be taken and imprisoned at London.London.
But the Lord was with us; his power preserved us, and
gave us a sweet and blessed opportunity to wait upon him,
to be refreshed together in him, and to perform his services
for his truth and people for which we met. As it was a
time of great persecution, and we understood that in most
counties Friends were under great sufferings, either by imprisonments
or spoiling of goods, or both, a concern was
379weightily upon me lest any Friends that were sufferers, especially
such as were traders and dealers in the world, should
hazard the losing of other men’s goods or estates through
their sufferings. Wherefore, as the thing opened in me, I
drew up an epistle of caution to Friends in that case, which
I communicated to the Yearly Meeting; and from thence it
was sent forth among Friends throughout the nation; a copy
of which here follows:—
“Dear Friends and brethren in the Lord Jesus Christ,
who is your only sanctuary in this day of storm and persecution,
spoiling of goods, and imprisonments! Let every
one’s eye be unto him, who has all power in heaven and in
earth given unto him; so that none can touch a hair of your
head, nor you, nor anything ye have, except it be permitted
or suffered in this day, to try his people, whether their minds
be with the Lord, or in outward things. Dear Friends, take
care that all your offerings be free, and of your own, that
has cost you something; so that ye may not offer of that
which is another man’s, or that which ye are entrusted withal
and not your own, or fatherless’ or widows’ estates; but all
such things settle and establish in their places.
“You may remember many years ago, in a time of great
persecution, divers Friends, who were traders, shop-keepers
and others, had the concerns of widows and fatherless, and
other people’s estates in their hands. And when a great
suffering, persecution, and spoiling of goods came upon
Friends, especial care was taken that all might offer up to
the Lord in their sufferings what was really their own, and
not any other people’s estates or goods which they had in
their hands; and that they might not offer up another body’s,
but that which they had bought and paid for, or were able
to pay for. Afterwards several letters came out of the
country to the meeting at London, from Friends that had
goods of the shopkeepers at London upon credit, which they
had not paid for; who wrote to their creditors whom they
had their goods of, entreating them to take their goods again.
And some Friends came to London themselves, and treated
with their creditors, letting them understand ‘that they lay
liable to have all that they had taken from them;’ and told
them, ‘they would not have any man to suffer by them:
neither would they by suffering offer up anything but what
was really their own, or what they were able to pay for.’
Upon which several took their goods again. This wrought a
very good savour in the hearts of many people, when they
380saw such a righteous, just, and honest principle in Friends,
that would not make any suffer for their testimony; but
what they did suffer for the testimony of Jesus should be
really and truly their own, not other people’s. In this they
owed nothing to any, but love. So in this every man and
woman stands in the free offering, a free people, whether it
be spiritual or temporal, which is their own; and in that
they wrong no man, neither inwardly, nor outwardly. Ornan
said unto David, ‘I give thee the threshing-floorthreshing-floor, &c., and
the oxen for burnt-offerings, and the threshing instruments
for wood, and the wheat for the meat-offering; I give it all.’
But king David said unto Ornan, ‘Nay, but I will verily buy
it for the full price; for I will not take that which is thine
for the Lord, nor offer burnt-offerings without cost,’
1 Chron. xxi. 22, &c. So it should be his own; and so
should it be every man’s that offers. You may see here that
David would not accept of another man’s gift for an offering
to the Lord; he would not offer up that which cost him
nothing; but what should be really his own, Psal. cxii. 5.
‘A good man ... will guide his affairs with discretion.’
“Let this be read in your monthly and quarterly men’s
and women’s meetings.”
G.F.
London, the 2nd of the 4th Month, 1683.
CHAPTER XI.
381
1683-1685.—A salutation of love to Friends, designed to stir up the pure
mind—an epistle to Friends commending them to Christ, the rock
and sure foundation—an epistle of counsel to Friends—George Fox
taken from a meeting and examined by a magistrate, but soon
released—writes an epistle to the faithful to beware of a seducing
spirit—after the Yearly Meeting sails for Holland, and lands at the
Briel—attends the Yearly Meeting at Amsterdam—writes to Galenus
Abrahams, a Mennonist or Baptist, who, seven years before, bid
him “keep his eyes off him.” for he said “they pierced him,” but
now he was become very loving and tender, as well as his family—George
Fox returns to England—writes to the Duke of Holstein an
able defence of women’s preaching—writes an epistle of counsel to
Friends—advises with, and assists them in, drawing up an account
of sufferings, which is printed and spread amongst Parliament-men—writes
a caution to Friends, to keep out of the world’s spirit &c.—and
a warning against pride and excess in apparel.
Some time after the Yearly Meeting I went down to
Kingston-upon-Thames to visit Friends there; and while
I was there it came upon me to write the following epistle to
Friends in general, as a salutation of love, and to stir up the
pure mind in them:—
“Dear Friends and Brethren,
“Who are turned from darkness to light, and from the
power of Satan to God, who are believers in the light, which
is the life in Christ, and are become children of the light and
of the day;—who are grafted into Christ, the second Adam,
the Lord from heaven, and are gathered in the name of Jesus,
in whom ye have salvation, and not in any other name under
the whole heaven. For Christ Jesus saith, ‘Where two or
three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the
midst of them,’ Matt. xviii. 20. So you being gathered in
the name of Jesus, he is in the midst of you, a Saviour, a
Mediator, a Prophet, a Shepherd, a Bishop, a Leader, a
Counsellor, the Captain of your salvation, who bruises the
serpent’s head, and destroys the devil and his works. Therefore,
brethren in Christ Jesus, exhort one another daily,
while it is called to-day, lest any of you be hardened through
the deceitfulness of sin. For you are made partakers of
382Christ, if ye hold fast the beginning of your confidence stedfast
to the end, Heb. iii. 14. Therefore hear Christ’s voice,
for he is in the midst of you a teacher.
“Take heed, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of
unbelief in departing from the living God, as there is in too
many in this day of provocation and temptation. While it
is to-day hear his voice, and let us consider one another, to
provoke unto love and to good works. Let us hold fast the
profession of our faith without wavering (for he is faithful
that hath promised and hath called you), not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is;
(mark) as the manner of some is, that did and do forsake the
assembling of themselves together: but exhorting one
another, and so much the more as you see the day of light
appearing. For if we sin wilfully, after we have received
the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice
for sins; but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and
fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries, Heb. x.
“And therefore it is good not to forsake the assembling
of ourselves together, but exhort one another daily; for
Christ is in the midst of his people a teacher, and a prophet,
who saith, ‘Learn of me; the way, the truth, and the life.’
We being many, are one body in Christ, gathered in his
name, and everyone members one of another. Having then
gifts differing according to the grace that is given us, whether
they be prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion
of faith; and let those that minister, wait on their ministry;
those that be teachers, on their teaching; and him that exhorteth,
on exhortation; he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity;
and he that ruleth, with diligence; and he that
showeth mercy, is to do it with cheerfulness. Abhor that
which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned
one towards another, with brotherly love, in honour
preferring one another. Rejoice in hope; be patient in
tribulations; be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil
with good; and, if it be possible, as much as lieth in you,
live peaceably with all men, Rom. xii. This is and was the
practice of the church of Christ. And now the God of hope
fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may
abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. I
myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also
are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and are able
also to admonish one another, Rom. xv. 13, 14. Here the
church of Christ, in which He was in the midst a teacher and
the head of the church, were and are able through him to
admonish one another. Let the peace of God rule in your
hearts, to which ye are also called into one body, to wit, of
383Christ. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all
wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another, &c., Col. iii.
Whatsoever ye do, in word or deed, do all in the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father
by him: and above all things put on charity, which is the
bond of perfectness.
“The apostle said to Timothy, ‘Be not thou ashamed of
the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner; but be
thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel, according to
the power of God, who hath saved us, and called us with a
holy calling; not according to our works, but according to
his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ
Jesus before the world began,’ 2 Tim. i. 8, 9. It concerns
every one not to be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord,
who hath called them by his grace; and not to be ashamed
of any of Christ’s prisoners, and afflicted ones for Christ’s
and his gospel’s sake, who abolishes death, and brings life
and immortality to light through his gospel: you that believe
in the light, know it.
“Peter saith, in his general epistle to the church of Christ,
‘As every man’ (mark, every man) ‘hath received the gift,
so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the
manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as
the oracles of God, not of men; if any man minister, let him
do it as of the ability which God gives, not of the ability of
men’s arts and sciences, that God in all things may be glorified
through Jesus Christ,’ &c. For these gifts and grace
come from Jesus into the hearts of the members of his
church, whom he is in the midst of. And if any man suffer
as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify
God, &c. Every true Christian hath the presence of Christ,
who hath all power in heaven and in earth given him, to
support him with his power, light, and life. Christ saith to
his believers, ‘Beware of men, for they will deliver you up
to the councils, and they will scourge you in the synagogues,
and you shall be brought before governors and kings for my
name’s sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what
ye shall speak; for it shall be given you in the same hour
what ye shall speak: for it is not you that speak, but the
Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you. And ye shall be
hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth
to the end, shall be saved. The disciple is not above his
Master, nor the servant above his lord; it is enough for the
disciple that he be as his Master, and the servant as his lord:
for if they have called the master of the house Beelzebub,
what will they do to his servant? Fear not them which kill
384the body, but are not able to kill the soul, &c. A sparrow
shall not fall to the ground without your heavenly Father,
&c. The hairs of your head are all numbered; ye are of
more value than many sparrows. Whosoever therefore shall
confess me before men, him will I confess also before my
Father who is in heaven; but whosoever shall deny me before
men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in
heaven. And whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my
words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed,’ &c., Matt. x.
And again Christ saith, ‘Whosoever shall be ashamed of me
and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of
him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes
in the glory of his Father with his holy angels,’ Mark viii. 38.
“And Christ saith to his disciples, ‘He that receiveth you
receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that
sent me: he that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet
shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth
a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive
a righteous man’s reward. And whosoever shall give
to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water
only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall
in no wise lose his reward.’ Matt. x. 40-42. Here ye may
see how Christ encourages his disciples, and them that receive
them. And John saith, ‘Among the chief rulers of
the Jews many believed in Christ; but because of the
Pharisees, they did not confess him, lest they should be put
out of the synagogue,’ John xii. 42. Too many such believers
there are now-a-days, who dare not confess Christ, lest they
should lose the favour of men. But Christ encouraged the
faithful disciples, and told them they would put them out of
their synagogues; yea, that the time should come, that whosoever
killed them would think they did God service: And
‘these things,’ said he, ‘will they do unto you, because they
have not known the Father, nor me. But these things have
I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember
that I told you of them,’ Jo hn xvi. 2-4. Here we may see
what Christ told his disciples should come to pass to them.
And Saul before he was converted, compelled the Christians
to blaspheme, and make havoc of the church of Christ, Acts
viii. and chap. xxii. and xxvi. And did not the beast in the
Revelations compel both small and great to worship him and
his image? And did not all worship it, but they who had their
names written in the Lamb’s book of life? Did not Nebuchadnezzar
set up an image sixty cubits high, and six cubits
broad? And did not he cause a herald to cry aloud ‘It‘It is
commanded that all people, nations, and languages fall down,
and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar hath set
385up; and whoso falleth not down, and worshippeth, shall the
same hour be cast into the midst of the fiery furnace?’ And
were not Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, cast into the
furnace? Dan. iii. But God delivered them.
“Therefore it is good to be faithful to God and his worship
in Spirit and in truth. The Jews agreed that if any
man should confess Christ, he should be put out of their
synagogue, John ix. 22. So it was for Christ’s sake they
were excommunicated out of their synagogues. But as it is
written, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling-stone, and a rock
of offence; and whoso believes on him, shall not be ashamed.’ashamed.’
So Christ is a stumbling-block and a rock of offence to all
the unbelievers in the light, which is the life in Christ,
whether they be Jews, Christians, or Gentiles. The Jews
believed Christ was to come, from the Scriptures; and the
Christians believe he is come by the Scriptures; but do not
believe in the light, as Christ commands, and so do not
become children of the light. Therefore ye that are believers
in the light, and are become children of light, walk
in Christ, your way, life, and salvation.”
G.F.
Kingston, the 5th Month, 1683.
Before I left Kingston, something further opened in me,
which I was moved to write, and send amongst Friends; as
follows:—
“Dear Friends,
“My love is to all in the holy Seed, that reigns over all.
And my desire is, that every one, both male and female,
may feel the Seed Christ in you, which is heir of the promise
of life eternal, that ye may all grow up in Christ Jesus your
head, and be built upon Him, the rock and foundation that
God hath laid, which stands sure over all rocks and foundations
in the world;—that ye may eat and drink of this
spiritual rock, the spiritual water and food; so that ye
may truly and inwardly say, that your rock and foundation,
your bread and water of life, is from heaven, and
your bread and water is sure; and that ye know his voice
that feeds you, and leads you into the pastures of life, which
are always fresh and green. In this, your affections are set
on things that are above, seeking that which comes down
from above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God,
making intercession for you; who is your Mediator, making
peace between God and you; who is your heavenly Bishop
to oversee you, that ye keep in his light, life, and power, and
do not go astray from his heavenly fold and pasture, that He
your Shepherd may feed you therein; who is your Prophet,
386to open to you the fulfilling of the promises and prophecies,
himself being the substance; that ye may live in him, and
he in you, yea, and reign in your hearts, there to exercise his
offices, his prophetical, priestly, and kingly office, who is
heavenly and spiritual;—that ye may know the three that
bear witness in the earth, the Spirit, the Water, and the
Blood, which is the life of Christ, which cleanseth from all
sin; the Water that washes and refreshes you; and the Spirit
that baptizes and circumcises you, and leads you into all
truth; that ye may come all to drink into one Spirit, and keep
the unity of the Spirit, which is the bond of the heavenly
peace. So being led by the Spirit of God, ye are his sons
and daughters, and by his Spirit will come to know the three
that bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the
Holy Ghost. These are the three witnesses that are in
heaven, that bear record of all things; for he is God in
heaven, and God in the earth.
“Therefore I desire, that ye may all feel his love shed in
your hearts, and in it live (above the love of the world, which
is enmity), and in that you will keep in the excellent way.
For love edifies the body of Christ, builds his church up, and
keeps out of the enmity, for it is above it, and brings and
keeps all in true humanity, and in the true divinity; to
be courteous, kind, and tender, one towards another, and to
show forth the nature of Christ, and true Christianity in all
your lives and conversations; that the blessings of the Lord
may rest upon you, as ye all live in the seed of the gospel,
the seed of the kingdom of God, in which all nations are
blessed. In that ye will all have a care of God’s glory. There
is the hill or mountain, where the light shines to the answering
the witness of God in all; and the salt that is a good savour
to the witness of God in the hearts of all; and that savour
being kept in, the salt doth not come under the feet of men.
“So my love to you all in Christ Jesus, whom God hath
given to be a sanctuary for all his people, who is from above
and not of this world, in whom you have life, peace and salvation.
In Him, God Almighty keep and preserve you all to
his glory. Amen. As you live in the peaceable truth of
God, it keeps you under, and within, his protection; but
they that make a profession of the Scriptures of truth, and
yet live out of the truth, in the spirit of strife, unquietness,
and discontent, in a contriving, plotting, ravenous, destroying
spirit, which is of the devil, and not of God, that spirit
is judged out of the truth, and to be of him, in whom
there is no truth, whose portion is in the lake, and in the
fire that burns.”
G.F.
Kingston, the 27th of the 5th Month, 1683.
387Having visited Friends at and about Kingston, I returned
to London; for it being a suffering time with Friends
there, I had not freedom to be long from the city. I went
to the meeting at The Peel, which but a little before the
justices and constables had broken up, and had carried
themselves very roughly; but that day it was in the house
and quiet; and a glorious meeting it was, blessed be the
Lord.
On the First-day following I went to the meeting at
Gracechurch Street. When I came there, I found three
constables in the meeting-house, who kept Friends out; so
we met in the court. After I had been some time there, I
stood up and spoke to the people, and continued speaking
some time. Then one of the constables came, and took
hold of my hand, and said, “I must come down.” I desired
him to be patient, and went on speaking to the people; but
after a little time, he pulled me down, and had me into the
meeting-house. I asked them if they were not weary of
this work. One of them said, “indeed they were.” They
let me go into the widow Foster’s house, which joined to the
meeting house, where I stayed, being hot. When the meeting
was ended, for one prayed after I was taken away, the
constables asked some Friends, “which of them would
pass their words that I should appear, if they should be
questioned about me”me”; but Friends telling them, they need
not require that, for I was a man well known in the city, to
be one that would neither fly, nor shrink; they went away,
and I heard no further of it.
The same week I was at the meeting at the Savoy,
which used to be kept out and disturbed; but that day it
was within doors and peaceable; and a precious time it
was. The First-day after, it was upon me to go to the
meeting at Westminster, where there used to be great disturbances;
but there also the meeting was within doors,
that day, and very large. The Lord’s power was over all,
and kept all quiet and still; for though many loose spirits
388were there, yet they were bound down by the power and
Spirit of the Lord, that they could not get up to make disturbance.
About this time I was moved to write the following
epistle:—
“Friends and Brethren,
“Who“Who have received the peaceable truth, let the fruits of
its peaceableness and of your quiet spirit appear in all your
meetings, and in all your words and actions; for he that
inhabits eternity dwells with a humble heart, he gives grace
to the humble, and resisteth the proud. Heaven is his throne
and the earth ye walk upon is his footstool; happy are ye
that see and know him that is invisible. And now, Friends,
let all things be done in your meetings, and otherwise, in
love, without strife or vainglory. For love fulfils the law,
love overcomes, and edifies the body of Christ. There is
neither self nor envy in love, neither is it puffed up; but
abides and bears all things. See that this love of God have
the sway in you all and over you all.
“Christ saith, ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn;
for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek; for
they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they that do
hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be
filled. Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain
mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see
God. Blessed are the peace-makers; for they shall be called
the children of God. Blessed are they that are persecuted
for righteousness’ sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute
you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for
my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad; for great is your
reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which
were before you.’
“Now Friends, here is a great deal in these words; and
all must be in these states and conditions, if they have these
blessings. The children of God are peace-makers, and strive
to make peace in the truth; and to live in peace with all
men, if it be possible. So live in peace and good-will to all
men; which good-will is both for their sanctification and
salvation. And, Friends, consider, the wisdom of God,
which is from above, is pure, peaceable, gentle, and easy to
be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality
and without hypocrisy. Dear Friends, let this pure, peaceable,
gentle wisdom, that is from above, that is easy to be
389entreated, and is full of mercy and good fruits, be exercised
and practised in all the true churches of Christ, so that
wisdom may be justified of her children. For the works of
the flesh, or fleshly spirit, are hatred, variance, wrath, strife,
envyings, drunkenness, revellings, adultery, fornication,
lasciviousness, uncleanness, &c., and they which do such
things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruits
of the Spirit of God are love, joy, peace, long-suffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, &c. So,
dear Friends and brethren, strive to exceed one another, and
all people upon the earth, in humility, meekness, gentleness,
temperance, love, patience, pureness, and in mercy; then ye
will show forth the fruits of the Spirit of God, and of his
heavenly wisdom that is from above. In this, wisdom will
be justified of her children; ye will be the salt of the earth,
the light of the world set on a hill, that cannot be hid; and
your moderation will appear to all men.
Be ye just and righteous, faithful and true in all your
words, dealings, and conversations, so that ye may answer
the truth in all people; for Christ saith, his Father is glorified
by such as bring forth fruits, when men do see their good
works; for he that doeth righteousness, is accepted with
God. And he that dwells in love, dwells in God; for love
is his habitation. Let that be the habitation of every one
that hath received the truth; for if it be not, such do not
dwell in God, let them profess what they will. Therefore
my desire is, that all you who have received Christ, the
Seed, which bruises the serpent’s head, may walk in Him,
your sanctuary, life, and salvation, your rest and peace.
Amen.”
G.F.
London, the 14th of the 6th Month, 1683.
I continued yet at London, labouring in the work and
service of the Lord both in and out of meetings; sometimes
visiting Friends in prison for the testimony of Jesus, encouraging
them in their sufferings, and exhorting them to
stand faithful and steadfast in the testimony, which the
Lord had committed to them to bear; sometimes also visiting
those that were sick and weak in body, or troubled in
mind, helping to bear up their spirits from sinking under
their infirmities. Sometimes our meetings were quiet and
peaceable; sometimes they were disturbed and broken up
by the officers.
390One First-day it was upon me to go to the meeting at
the Savoy, which was large; for many professors and sober
people were there. The Lord opened many precious,
weighty things in me to the people, which I declared
amongst them, and “directed them to the Spirit of God in
themselves, which the Lord had given them a measure of;
that all by the Spirit might understand the Scriptures, which
were given forth from the Spirit of God; and that by the
Spirit of God, they might know God, and Christ whom God
hath sent; whom to know is eternal life; and that by the
Spirit, they might all come into Christ, and know Him to
be their sanctuary, who destroys the devil, the destroyer,
and his works, and bruises the serpent’s head. For Christ
was a sanctuary to them, to whom he was a Saviour, whom
he saved from the destroyer. And Christ did baptize them
with the Holy Ghost and with fire, and did thoroughly purge
his floor, and burn up their chaff with unquenchable fire;
this is, sin and corruption, which is got into man by transgression;
but Christ gathereth his wheat into his garner.
So all that are baptized with Christ’s baptism, their wheat is
in God’s garner; and no spoiler can get into God’s garner
to meddle with the wheat there, though they may be permitted
to meddle with the outward goods,” &c.
As I was speaking in the power of the Lord, and the people
were greatly affected therewith, suddenly the constables,
with the rude people, came in like a sea. One of the constables
said to me, “Come down;” and he laid hands on me.
I asked him, “Art thou a Christian? We are Christians.”
He had hold of my hand, and was very fierce to pluck me
down; but I stood still, and spoke a few words to the people;
desiring of the Lord that the blessings of God might rest
upon them all. The constable still called upon me to come
down, and at length plucked me down, and bid another man
with a staff take me, and carry me to prison. That man led
me to another officer’s house, who was more civil; and after
a while they brought in four Friends more, whom they had
391taken. I was very weary and in a great perspiration; and
several Friends hearing where I was, came to me in the constable’s
house; but I bid them all go their ways, lest the
constables and informers should stop them.
After a while the constables led us almost a mile to a
justice, who was a fierce, passionate man; who, after he had
asked me my name, and his clerk had taken it in writing,
upon the constable’s informing him that “I preached in the
meeting,” said in an angry manner, “Do not you know, that
it is contrary to the king’s laws to preach in such conventicles,
contrary to the Liturgy of the Church of England?”
There was present one —— Shad (a wicked informer, who
was said to have broken jail at Coventry, and to have been
burned in the hand at London,) who hearing the justice
speak so to me, stepped up to him, and told him, “that he
had convicted them on the Act of the 22nd of King Charles
the Second.” “What! you convict them?” said the justice;
“Yes,” said Shad, “I have convicted them, and you must
convict them too upon that Act.” With that the justice was
angry with him, and said, “You teach me! what are you?
I’ll convict them of a riot.” The informer hearing that, and
seeing the justice angry, went away in a fret; so he was
disappointed of his purpose. I thought he would have sworn
somebody against me, whereupon I said, “Let no man swear
against me, for it is my principle ‘not to swear;’ and therefore
I would not have any man swear against me.” The
justice thereupon asked me, “If I did not preach in the
meeting;” I told him, “I confessed what God and Christ
had done for my soul, and praised God; and I thought I
might have done that in the streets, and in all places, viz.,
praise God and confess Christ Jesus; and this I was not
ashamed to confess. Neither was this contrary to the Liturgy
of the Church of England.” The justice said, “the laws
were against such meetings as were contrary to the Liturgy
of the Church of England.” I said, “I knew no such laws
against our meetings; but if he meant that Act that was
392made against such as met to plot, contrive, and raise insurrections
against the king, we were no such people, but
abhorred all such actions; and bore true love and good-will
to the king, and to all men upon the earth.” The justice
then asked me, “if I had been in orders;” I told him, “No.”
Then he took his law-books and searched for laws against
us; bidding his clerk take the names of the rest in the mean
time: but when he could find no other law against us, the
clerk swore the constable against us. Some of the Friends
bid the constable “take heed what he swore, lest he were
perjured; for he took them in the entry, and not in the
meeting.” Yet the constable, being an ill man, swore “that
they were in the meeting.” However, the justice said,
“seeing there was but one witness, he would discharge the
rest; but he would send me to Newgate, and I might preach
there.” I asked him, “If it stood with his conscience to send
me to Newgate for praising God, and for confessing Christ
Jesus?” He cried, “Conscience! conscience!” but I felt my
words touched his conscience. He bid the constable take
me away, and he would make a mittimus to send me to
prison when he had dined. I told him, “I desired his peace,
and the good of his family, and that they might be kept in
the fear of the Lord;” so I passed away. And as we went
the constable took some Friends’ word, that I should come
to his house the next morning by eight. Accordingly I
went with those Friends; and then the constable told us,
that he went to the justice for the mittimus after he had
dined, and he bid him come again after the evening service;
which he did; and then the justice told him he might let
me go. “So,” said the constable, “you are discharged.” I
blamed the constable for turning informer, and swearing
against us; and he said he would do so no more. Next day
the justice meeting with Gilbert Latey, asked him, “if he
would pay twenty pounds for George Fox’s fine.” He said,
“No.” “Then,” said the justice, “I am disappointed; for
being but a lodger I cannot come by his fine, and he having
393been brought before me, and being of ability himself, I cannot
lay his fine on any other.”
After I was discharged, I went into the city. The same
week the sessions coming on, where many Friends were
concerned, some as prisoners, and some on trials of appeal
upon the conventicle act, I went to a Friend’s house not far
off, that I might be in readiness to assist them with counsel,
or otherwise, as occasion should offer; and I found service
in it. But as my spirit was concerned on behalf of Friends,
with respect to their outward sufferings by the persecutors
without; so an exercise also came weightily upon me at this
time, in the sense I had of the mischievous working of that
adulterated spirit, which, being gone out from the heavenly
unity, and having drawn out some that professed truth into
enmity and opposition against Friends, endeavoured to trouble
the church of Christ with their janglings and contention.
And as a further discovery of the working of that seducing
spirit, and a warning to all Friends to beware of it, I was
moved to write the following epistle:—
“To all the elect faithful, called, and chosen of God, the flock
and heritage of God, who have been acquainted with the
dealings of the Lord, and have kept your habitations in
his life, power, and truth, being built upon the holy,
heavenly rock and foundation, Christ Jesus, who was
the foundation of the prophets and apostles; which
foundation stands sure.
“Many foundations have been laid since the apostles’
days, by such as have gone from Christ, the true and sure
Foundation; but their foundations have proved rotten, and
come to nought; and they themselves have come to loss.
Many, since the day of Christ and the truth hath appeared
in this nation, have had some openings and sights, and come
among us for a time; and then gone out from us again; these
have been the comers and goers, like those in the apostles’
days. Such had an outward profession of the truth, and
have gone from the true foundation, Christ Jesus, and so from
the heavenly society and unity of the saints in light. Then
they set up foundations of their own; and having a form of
godliness, but out of the power thereof, out of the order
thereof, such have turned to janglings and vain disputings.
394This sort of spirit you have been acquainted with, who have
kept your habitations in Christ Jesus, the First and the Last.
“And you are not insensible of the scurrilous and filthy
books of lies and defamations, which have been spread
abroad in this nation, and beyond the seas, against the faithful.
It is very well that the Lord hath suffered them to
publish their own shame in print, that truth’s enemies may
be discovered; that their fruits and spirits have appeared
and manifested themselves both in print and otherwise. And
I do believe, that the Lord will yet suffer this spirit so to
publish its fruits, its shame and nakedness, to professor and
profane, and to all sober, moderate, and innocent people, that
its shame and nakedness shall more fully appear. Though
for a time it hath been hid and covered with the fig-leaves of
an outward profession, and sometimes with fawning and
flattering words, as at other times, it hath discovered itself
by rough, lying, and defaming words; yet the Lord God will
blast all such vain talkers, that do not walk in the order of
life, truth, and the gospel.
“Therefore, ye that are faithful, stand fast in the liberty
wherewith Christ hath made you free in his government.
It is upon his shoulders; he bears it up; of the increase of
it, and of its peace, there is no end. For all quarellers
against his order and government are not in him, nor in his
heavenly, spiritual government and peace. Therefore, ye
faithful ones, who have stood the trial through many persecutions,
imprisonments, spoilings of goods; you know that
there is a crown of glory laid up for you. You that suffer
with Christ, shall reign with him in his kingdom of glory;
ye that die with Christ, shall live with him in eternal life, in
the world that hath no end, who have gone through the sufferings
without, and within, by false brethren, by comers
and goers, that have caused the way of truth to be evil
spoken of, and have been the persecutors of the faithful with
their tongues; and by printing and publishing their lying,
defaming books against the faithful, these have stirred up
the magistrates and priests who were willing to get any occasion
to speak evil of the right way, and precious truth of
Christ, by which his people are made free; it would have
been better for such had they never been born. But God
hath brought them to light, and their fruits and ravenous
spirits are seen, savoured, and known; who are become
Judases, and sons of perdition, to betray Christ now within
(where he is made manifest) to the priests, magistrates, and
profane, as Judas betrayed Christ without to the priests and
Pilate; though some of the magistrates and sober people see
their envy and folly, and that they have more malice than
395matter against the faithful. But the Lord will consume this
Judas, or son of perdition. The Lord will consume him with
the Spirit of his mouth, and destroy him with the brightness
of his coming. So let all the faithful look unto the Lord.
And let the wicked son of perdition know, though he may
be got as high as Judas without (who was partaker of the
ministry with the apostles,) ‘the Lord will consume him
with the Spirit of his mouth, and destroy him with the
brightness of his coming.’ That is his portion. The brightness
of the Lord will destroy him, and the Spirit of his mouth
will consume him. And when he is destroyed and consumed,
there will not be a son of perdition to betray Christ in his
people, and his people that live and walk in Christ, who hath
all power in heaven (mark, in heaven) and in earth given to
him; and with his holy and glorious power he limits and
orders; so that nothing shall be done against his people, but
what is suffered for their trial and their good, neither by
apostates, persecutors with the tongue, Judases, sons of perdition
to betray, or the outward powers to imprison, or spoil
goods; all these are limited by Christ’s power, who hath all
power in heaven and in earth given to him. Every one’s
faith is to stand in him and his power, and rejoice in his
power, and see the increase of his righteous, holy, heavenly,
spiritual, peaceable government, in which the glorious, holy
order of life is lived and walked in, by all his sons and
daughters. In his Spirit is the holy unity and bond of peace;
though ye be absent in body one from another, yet all joying
and rejoicing, being present in his Spirit, and beholding in
the same Spirit your spiritual order, unity, and fellowship,
and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ Jesus, who is
steadfast for ever, the First and the Last, whose presence is
among his people, and who is their head. Here is heavenly
Sion known, and heavenly Jerusalem, and the innumerable
company of angels (which are spirits) and the spirits of the
just men made perfect. Here is the general assembly, and a
general, heavenly, holy, and spiritual joy and rejoicing, lauding
and praising the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb, that
lives for evermore. Amen.”
G. F.
London, the 14th of the 8th Month, 1683.
“Read this in your assemblies amongst the faithful.”
I tarried a little in London, visiting Friends and meetings,
and labouring in the work of the Lord there. And
being on a First-day at the Bull-and-Mouth, where the
meeting had long been kept out, it was that day in the house
peaceable and large; the people were so affected with the
396truth, and refreshed with the powerful presence of the Lord,
that when it was ended they were loth to go away.
After some time, having several things upon me to write,
I went to Kingston, that I might be free from interruptions.
When I came there, I understood the officers had been very
rude at the meeting, abusing Friends, and had driven them
out of the meeting-place, and very abusive they continued to
be for some time. Whilst I was there I wrote a little book
(printed soon after,) entitled, “The Saints’ heavenly and
spiritual worship, unity, and communion, &c.&c., wherein is set
forth what the true gospel worship is, and in what the true
unity and communion of the saints stands; with a discovery
of those that were gone from this holy unity and communion,
and were turned against the saints, that abode therein.”
When I had finished the services for which I went
thither, and had visited the Friends, I returned to London,
and visited most of the meetings in and about the city. Afterwards
I went to visit a Friend in Essex; and returning by
Dalston, made some stay at the widow Stot’s, where I wrote
an epistle to Friends, declaring the word of the Lord to them,
which may be read amongst my other printed books.
I came from Dalston to London, and next day was sent
for in haste to my son Rous’s at Kingston, whose daughter,
Margaret, lay very sick, and had a desire to see me. I tarried
now at Kingston about a week, and then returned to London;
where I continued for the most part of the winter and the
spring following, until the general meeting in 1684, save that
I went once as far as Enfield, to visit Friends thereabouts.
In this time I ceased not to labour in the work of the Lord,
being frequent at meetings, and visiting Friends that were
prisoners, or that were sick; and in writing books for the
spreading of truth, and opening the understandings of the
people to receive it.[58]
397The Yearly Meeting was in the 3rd month. A blessed
weighty one it was, wherein Friends were sweetly refreshed
together; for the Lord was with us, and opened his heavenly
treasures amongst us. And though it was a time of great
difficulty and danger, by reason of informers and persecuting
magistrates, yet the Lord was a defence and place of safety
to his people.
Now had I drawings in Spirit to go into Holland, to visit
the Seed of God there. And as soon as the Yearly Meeting
was over I prepared for my journey. There went with me
from London Alexander Parker, George Watts, and Nathaniel
Brassey, who also had drawings into that country. We took
coach the 31st of the 3rd month, 1684, and got to Colchester
that night. Next day being First-day, we went to the meeting
there; and though there was no notice given of my coming,
yet our being there was presently spread over the town, and
in several places in the country at seven and ten miles distance;
so that abundance of Friends came in double-horsed,
which made the meeting very large. I had a concern and
travail in my mind, lest this great gathering should have
stirred up the town, and been more than the magistrates
could well bear; but it was very quiet and peaceable, and a
glorious meeting we had, to the settling and stablishing of
Friends both in town and country; for the Lord’s power
398was over all; blessed be his name for ever! Truly the Lord’s
power and presence was beyond words; for I was but weak
to go into a meeting, and my face (by reason of a cold I had
taken) was sore; but God manifested his strength in us and
with us, and all was well: the Lord have the glory for evermore
for his supporting power. After the meeting, I think
above a hundred Friends of the town and country came to
see me at John Furly’s, and very glad we were to see one another,
and greatly refreshed together, being filled with the
love and riches of the Lord; blessed be his name for ever!
We tarried at Colchester two days more; which we spent
in visiting Friends, both at their meetings for business and
at their houses. Then early in the morning of Fourth-day
we took coach for Harwich, where we met William Bingley,
and Samuel Waldenfield, who went over with us. About
eight at night we went on board the packet, Richard Gray
master; but by reason of contrary winds it was one in the
morning before we sailed. We had a very good passage; and
about five in the afternoon next day we landed at the Briel
in Holland, where we stayed that night. Early next morning
399we went to Rotterdam, where we abode some days.
The day after we came to Rotterdam, one Wilbert Frouzen,
a burgomaster, and kinsman of Aarent Sunneman’s, hearing
I was there, invited me to his country house, having a desire
to speak with me about some business, relating to Aarent
Sunneman’s daughters. I took George Watts with me, and
a brother of Aarent Sunneman’s had us thither. The burgomaster
received us very kindly, and was very glad to see me;
and entering into discourse about his kinsman’s daughters, I
found he was apprehensive that, their father being dead, and
having left them considerable portions, they might be stolen
and married to their disadvantage. Wherefore I told him,
“that it was our principle and practice, that none should
marry amongst us unless they had a certificate of the consent
of their relations or guardians; for it was our Christian care
to watch over and look after all young people that came
among us; especially those whose natural relations were dead.
And as for his kinsman’s daughters, we should take care that
nothing should be offered to them but what should be agreeable
to truth and righteousness, and that they might be preserved
in the fear of God, according to their father’s mind.”
This seemed to give him great satisfaction. While I was
with him there came many great people to me, and “I exhorted
them all to keep in the fear of God, and to mind his
good Spirit in them, to keep their minds to the Lord.” After
I had stayed two or three hours, and had conversed with him
on several things, I took my leave of him, and he very kindly
sent me to Rotterdam in his chariot.
Next day being First-day, we were at the meeting at
Rotterdam, which was pretty large, and declared to them by
an interpreter. The day following Alderman Gaul came to
speak with me, with whom we had much discourse about
religious matters; he seemed to be well satisfied, and was
very tender. Several other persons of account had intended
to come to speak with me that day, but being hindered by
extraordinary business (as I understood), they came not.
400We went next day to Amsterdam, where we had a large
and very precious meeting. In the afternoon I was at another
meeting with Friends there, about business.
There is a Yearly Meeting at Amsterdam for the Friends
of Holland and Germany, &c., which begun now on the 8th
of the 4th month, and ended on the 12th. Here we had a fine
opportunity of seeing Friends from many parts, and of being
refreshed together in the love of God. After this meeting,
before those that came out of the several provinces were gone,
we had a meeting with some particular Friends, about the
places and countries into which we who came out of England
in the work of the ministry were to travel; and to enquire
who among them were suitable persons to go along with us
for interpreters. When this was concluded on, William
Bingley[59] and Samuel Waldenfield[60] took shipping for Friesland,
with Jacob Claus, their interpreter.
Alexander Parker and George Watts remained with me.
We tarried a few days longer at Amsterdam, where I had
401further service. Before I left 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. He was then very high and 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.
Feeling our spirits drawn towards Friesland, Alexander
Parker, George Watts, and I, having John Claus of Amsterdam
with us for our interpreter, took shipping, and having sailed
nine or ten leagues, we left the ship, and travelled through
Friesland, sometimes by boat, sometimes by waggon, visiting
Friends and tender people in the towns and villages where
we came; having one or two meetings in a day. After we had
been at Leuwarden, we passed by Franeker to Harlingen
in West Friesland, which was the furthest place we went
to that way. And having been six days from Amsterdam,
and had very good service in that time, visiting Friends
and publishing truth amongst the people, we took ship at
Harlingen for Amsterdam on the 26th of 4th month, and arrived
there that night. The First-day following we were at
the meeting at Amsterdam, which was very large and
precious. Many of the people were there, their teachers, and
some great persons also. They seemed very attentive, and a
good opportunity we all had, one after another, to declare the
word of the Lord and open the way of truth amongst them,
John Claus interpreting for us. I tarried next day at
Amsterdam; but George Watts went to a burial at Haarlem,
attended by many hundreds of people, amongst whom he
had a good opportunity, and came back at night to us.
The day following we went by boat to Osan-Overton
in Waterland, and thence, in another small boat, about a
402league over a small river, where we passed over and by a
hundred bridges, and so went to Landsmeer to a Friend’s
house whose name was Timon Peters; where we had a very
good meeting. We returned to Amsterdam that night, and
were at the meeting there next day. Many were 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 it was over, came and got me by the hand
very lovingly.
We went next day by boat to Alkmaar, about eight
leagues from Amsterdam, passing through Sardam, the great
town of ship-carpenters, and several other towns in the way.
At Alkmaar, which is a pretty city, we stayed, and had a
meeting next day at William Williams’s. There were
besides Friends many very sober people at this meeting,
who were very attentive to the testimonies of truth,
that were borne both by Alexander Parker, George
Watts, and myself, John Claus being our interpreter.
This was on a sixth day, and on the seventh we returned
to Amsterdam, being willing to be at the meeting at
Amsterdam on First-day, because it was likely to be the
last 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, who were very grave and sober, and the
everlasting gospel was preached unto them.
After this we took leave of the Friends of Amsterdam;
and next morning departed thence to Haarlem, where we
had a meeting at a Friend’s house, whose name is Abraham
Frondenberg. Great numbers of people were at this meeting,
and of great service it was. After it a watchmaker of
Amsterdam, who, with his wife, attended it, desired to speak
with me concerning religion. I had much discourse with
him, and both he and his wife were very low and tender,
received with gladness what I spoke to them, and seemed
well satisfied when they went away.
403We went next day to Rotterdam, where we tarried two
meetings; and on the 16th of the 5th month went to the
Briel, to take ship for England. About four in the afternoon
we went on board the packet, William Sherman master,
and set sail from the Briel. But when we had gone over the
Maese about a league, we cast anchor at a place called the
Pitt, because it is near to the sands, where we stayed till
about four next morning; when, having a pretty fair wind,
and the tide with us, we weighed anchor, and by four next
day were within five leagues of Harwich, over against Aldborough
Castle; but the wind falling short, and the tide
being weak, it was one 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; English, Scotch, Dutch, French, Spanish,
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,
which was large and peaceable; after it, we travelled to
Witham, and lodged there that night. Next day, William
Mead meeting us on the way at Hare Street, I went with
him to his house, the other Friends going on for London.
Here, being weak with travel and continual exercise, I
spent some time to rest myself, and recover my health;
visiting in the mean time the Friends in that part of the
country, as I was able to get abroad.[61] When I was a little
recovered, I went to Enfield, visiting Friends there and
404thereabouts; and so to Dalston to see the widow Stot; and
thence to London, some Friends being come over from New
Jersey in America, about business, which I was desired to
be present at.
It was the latter end of the summer when I came to
London, where I stayed the winter following; saving that
once or twice, my wife being in town with me, I went with
her to her son Rous’s at Kingston. And though my body
was very weak; yet I was in continual service, either in
public meetings, when I was able to bear them, or in particular
business amongst Friends, and visiting those that
were sufferers for truth, either by imprisonment or loss of
goods.
Many things also in this time I wrote, some for the
press, and some for particular service; as letters to the King
of Denmark and Duke of Holstein, on behalf of Friends that
were sufferers in their dominions; of the latter, the following
is a copy:—
“For the Duke of Holstein, whom I entreat, in the love of
God, to read over this, which is sent in love to him.
“I understand that formerly, by some evil-minded
persons, it was reported to thee, when Elizabeth Hendricks
came to Frederickstadt to visit the people called Quakers,
that it was a scandal to the Christian religion, that a woman
should be suffered to preach in a public assembly religiously
gathered together, &c. Upon which thou gave forth an
order to the rulers of Frederickstadt, ‘to make the said people
leave that place forthwith, or to send them away.’ But the
said rulers being Arminians, and they, or their fathers, having
come to live there, as a persecuted people in Holland,
not much above threescore years ago, made answer to the
duke, ‘they were not willing to persecute others for conscience’
sake, who had looked upon persecution on that account
405in their own case as antichristian,’ &c. But after that,
the people of God, in scorn called Quakers, wrote unto thee,
O duke, from Frederickstadt; and since that time they have
had their liberty, and their meetings peaceable, to serve and
worship God almost these twenty years at Frederickstadt, and
thereabouts, freely without any molestation; which liberty
they have acknowledged as a great favour and kindness from
thee.
“And now, O duke, thou professing Christianity from
the great and mighty name of Christ Jesus, who is King of
kings and Lord of lords, and the Holy Scriptures of truth of the
Old and New Testament, do not you use many women’s words
in your service and worship out of the Old and New Testament?
The apostle saith, ‘Let your women keep silence in the
churches;’ and that, ‘he did not permit a woman to speak,
but to be under obedience; and if she will learn anything,
to ask her husband at home; for it is a shame for a woman
to speak in the church.’ And 1 Tim. ii. 11, 12. ‘Women are
to learn in silence and not suffered to teach, nor to usurp
authority over the man, but to be in silence.’silence.’ 1 Cor. xiv. 34.
Now, here the duke may see, what sort of women were to
be in silence and in subjection, whom the law commands
to be silent, and not to usurp authority over the man, nor to
speak in the church; these were unruly women. In the
same chapter he commands women ‘not to plait or broider
their hair, nor to wear gold, pearls, or costly array.’ These
things were forbidden by the apostle; and such women as
wear such things, are to learn in silence and to be subject,
and not to usurp authority over the men; for it is a shame
for such to speak in the church. But do not such women as
these, that wear gold and silver, and pearls and gaudy
apparel, or costly array, and plait and broider their hair,
speak in your church, when your priest sets them to sing
psalms? Do they not speak when they sing psalms? Consider
this, O duke! Yet you say, ‘your women must keep
silence in the church, and must not speak in the church;’
but when they sing psalms in your churches, are they then
silent? Though the apostle forbids such women before-mentioned
to speak in the church, yet in another place the
apostle encourages the good or holy women to be teachers of
good things, as in Tit. ii. 3, 4. The apostle said, ‘I entreat
thee, true yoke-fellow, help those women which laboured
with me in the gospel, and with other my fellow-labourers,
whose names are written in the book of life.’ Here he owns
these holy women, and encourages them, which laboured
with him in the gospel, and did not forbid them; Phil. iv.
2, 3. He likewise commends Phœbe unto the church of the
406Romans, calls her ‘a servant unto the church of Cenchrea,’
sends his epistle by her to the Romans from Corinth, and desires
the church at Rome ‘to receive her in the Lord as becometh
saints:’ and to ‘assist her in whatsoever business
she had need of; for she had been a succourer of many and
of himself also.’ And he said, ‘Greet Priscilla and Aquila,
my helpers in Christ Jesus, who have for my life laid down
their own necks; unto whom not only I give thanks, but
also all the churches of the Gentiles.’ Now here the duke
may see these were good, holy women, whom the apostle
did not forbid speaking, Rom. xvi. 1-4, but commended
them. And Priscilla and Aquila instructed and expounded
unto Apollos the way of God more perfectly, Acts xviii. 26.
So here Priscilla was an instructor as well as Aquila; which
holy women the apostle doth not forbid. Neither did the
apostle forbid Philip’s four daughters, which were virgins, to
prophesy. Women might pray and prophesy in the church,
1 Cor. xi. 5.
“The apostles showed to the Jews the fulfilling of Joel’s
prophecy; that in the last days God would pour of his Spirit
upon all flesh, and their sons and daughters, servants and
handmaids, should prophesy with the Spirit of God.God. So
the apostle encourages daughters and handmaids to prophesy
as well as sons; and if they do prophesy, they must
speak to the church or people, Joel ii. 28; Acts ii.Acts ii. 17, 18.
Did not Miriam the prophetess sing unto the Lord, and all the
women with her, when the Lord had delivered the children
of Israel from Pharaoh? Did not she praise the Lord, and
prophesy in the congregation of the children of Israel? and
was not this in the church? Exod. xv. 21. Moses and
Aaron did not forbid her prophesying or speaking; but
Moses said, ‘would God all the Lord’s people were prophets!’
and the Lord’s people are women as well as men. Deborah
was a judge and a prophetess; and do not you make use of
Deborah’s and Miriam’s words in your service and worship?
See (Judg. v. 1-31) Deborah’s large speech or song. Barak
did not forbid her, nor any of the Jewish priests. Did not
she make this speech or song in the congregation or church of Israel?
In the book of Ruth there are good speeches of those good
women, which were not forbidden. Hannah prayed in the
temple before Eli, and the Lord answered her prayer. See
what a speech Hannah makes, and a praising of God, before
Eli the high-priest, who did not forbid her, 1 Sam. ii. 1-10.
Josiah the king sent his priest with several others, to ask
counsel of Huldah the prophetess, who dwelt at Jerusalem
in the college, 2 Kings, xxii. 14; 2 Chron. xxxiv. 22. So
here the king and his priests did not despise the counsel of
407this prophetess; and she prophesied to the congregation of
Israel, as may be seen in these chapters.
“And in Luke i. 41-55, see what a godly speech Elizabeth
made to Mary, and what a large godly speech Mary made
also. Mary said, ‘that the Lord did regard the low estate
of his handmaid,’ &c. And do you not make use in your
worship and service of Mary’s and Elizabeth’s words from
Luke i. 41-55, in your churches, and yet forbid women’s
speaking in your churches? Yet all sorts of women speak
in your churches, when they sing, and say Amen. In
Luke ii. there was Anna the prophetess, a widow of about
fourscore and four years; who departed not from the temple,
but served God with fasting and prayer night and day. Did
not she confess Christ Jesus in the temple, and give thanks
to the Lord, and ‘speak of Christ to all that looked for redemption
in Jerusalem?’ Luke ii. 36-38. So such holy
women were not forbidden to speak in the church, neither in
the law nor gospel. Was it not Mary Magdalene and other
women that first preached Christ’s resurrection to the
apostles? The woman indeed (namely, Eve) was first in
transgression; and so they were women that first preached
the resurrection of Christ Jesus; for Christ said to Mary, &c.
‘Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my
Father and to your Father, and to my God and to your God,’
John xx. 17. And Luke xxiv. 10, it was Mary Magdalene
and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other
women that were with them, who told the apostles, ‘that
Christ was risen from the dead, and their words and these
women’s words, were as idle tales to the apostles, and they
believed them not,’ ibid. ver. 11. And ver. 22, ‘Certain
women also of our company made us astonished,’ they said:
so here it may be seen, that the women’s preaching the resurrection
of Christ did astonish the apostles. Christ sent these
women to preach his resurrection; so it is no shame for such
women to preach Christ Jesus; neither are they to be silent
when Christ sends them. The apostle says, ‘Every tongue
shall confess to God,’ Rom. xiv. 11; and ‘Every tongue shall
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father,’ Phil. ii. 11. So here it is clear, that women must
confess Christ as well as men, if every tongue must confess.
And the apostle saith, ‘There is neither male nor female;
for ye are all one in Christ Jesus,’ Gal. iii. 28.
“And whereas it is said, ‘Women must ask their husbands
at home,’ &c., the duke knows very well virgins have
no husbands, nor widows; for Anna the prophetess was a
widow; and if Christ be the husband, men must ask counsel
of him at home as well as women, before they teach. And
408set the case, that a Turk’s wife should be a Christian, or a
Papist’s wife should be a Lutheran, or a Calvinist, must they
ask and learn of their husbands at home, before they confess
Christ Jesus in the congregation of the Lord? Their counsel
will be to them to turn Turks or Papists.
“I entreat the duke to consider these things. I entreat
him to mind God’s grace and truth in his heart that is come
by Jesus; that by his Spirit of grace and truth he may come
to serve and worship God in his spirit and truth; so that he
may serve the living eternal God that made him, in his
generation, and have his peace in Christ, that the world cannot
take away. And I do desire his good, peace, and prosperity
in this world, and his eternal comfort and happiness
in the world that is everlasting. Amen.”
G.F.
London, 26th of the 8th Month, 1684.
Besides the foregoing, I wrote also epistles to Friends;
of one of which the following is a copy:—
“Friends and Brethren in the Lord Jesus Christ, in
whom you have all life, peace, and salvation; walk in Him,
who is your heavenly Rock and Foundation, that stands sure,
who hath all power in heaven and earth given unto him. So
his power is over all. Let your faith stand in his power,
which is over all from everlasting to everlasting, over the
devil and his power; that in the holy, heavenly wisdom of
God, ye may be preserved and kept to God’s glory, out of all
snares and temptations; so that God’s wisdom may be justified
of all his children in this day of his power, and they
all may be faithful, serving and worshipping God in his
Spirit and truth, and valiant for it upon the earth.
“For, as the apostle saith, ‘They that believe are entered
into their rest, and have ceased from their own works, as
God did from his.’ Now this rest is an eternal rest in Christ,
the eternal Son of God, in whom every true believer hath
everlasting life in Christ Jesus, their rest and everlasting
day. For Christ the Rest bruiseth the serpent’s head, and
through death destroyeth death, and the devil, the power of
death, and his works. He is the Eternal Rest, that giveth
eternal life to his sheep. Christ fulfilleth the prophets, and
all the figures, shadows, and ceremonies, as in the Old Testament;
and all the promises are yea and amen in Christ, who
was the Eternal Rest to all true believers in the apostles’
days, and ever since, and is so now. Christ is the beginning
and the ending, the first and the last, who is ascended above
all principalities, powers, thrones, and dominions, that he
might fill all things. For ‘by Jesus Christ all things were
409made and created, whether they be things in heaven, or
things in the earth;’ and he is the Eternal Rest. They that
believe are entered into Christ, their Eternal Rest, in whom
they have eternal life and peace with God. Wherefore I say
again, in Him who is your Rest, live and abide; for in Him
ye are happy, and his blessings will rest upon you. God
Almighty keep and preserve you all, his true believers, in
Christ your Rest and Peace this day. Amen.”
G.F.
London, the 18th of the 12th Month, 1684-5.
About a month after I got a little out of London, visiting
Friends, at South Street, Ford Green, and Enfield,
where I had meetings. Afterwards I went to Waltham
Abbey, and was at the meeting there on a First-day, which
was very large and peaceable. Then returning through
Enfield and Edmonton Side, I came back to London in
the 3rd Month, to advise with and assist Friends, in laying
their sufferings before the Parliament then sitting. We drew
up a short account thereof, which we caused to be printed
and spread among the Parliament-men.
The Yearly Meeting coming on, I was much concerned
for the Friends that came up to it out of the country, lest
they should meet with any trouble or disturbance in their
passages up or down; and the rather, because about that time
a great bustle arose in the nation on the Duke of Monmouth’s
landing in the West. But the Lord, according to his wonted
goodness, was graciously pleased to preserve Friends in
safety, gave us a blessed opportunity to meet together in
peace and quietness, and accompanied our meeting with his
living, refreshing presence; blessed for ever be his holy
name!
Now, considering the hurries that were in the nation, it
came upon me, at the close of this meeting, to write a few
lines to Friends, “to caution all to keep out of the spirit of
the world, in which the trouble is, and to dwell in the peaceable
truth;” as follows:—
“Dear Friends and Brethren,
“Whom the Lord hath called and chosen in Christ
Jesus, your Life and Salvation, in whom ye have all rest and
410peace with God; the Lord God by his mighty power, which
is over all, hath preserved and supported you to this day, to
be a peculiar, holy people to himself, so that by his eternal
Spirit and power ye might be all kept out of the world; for
in the world is trouble. And now, in this great day of the
Lord God Almighty, he is shaking the heavens and the earth
of outward professions, their elements are in a heat, their
sun and their moon are darkened, the stars falling, and the
mountains and hills shaking and tottering, as it was among
the Jews in the day of Christ’s appearing. Therefore, dear
Friends and brethren, dwell in the Seed, Christ Jesus, the
Rock and Foundation, that cannot be shaken; that ye may
see with the light and Spirit of Christ, that ye are as fixed
stars in the firmament of God’s power; and in this his power
and light, you will see over all the wandering stars, the
clouds without water, and trees without fruit. That which
may be shaken, will be shaken; as will all they that are
wandered from the firmament of God’s power.
“Dear Friends and brethren, you that are redeemed
from the death and fall of Adam, by Christ the second
Adam, in Him ye have life, rest, and peace; for Christ saith,
‘In me ye shall have peace; but in the world trouble.’ And
the apostle saith, ‘They that believe are entered into their
Rest,’ namely, Christ, who hath overcome the world, who
bruiseth the serpent’s head, destroys the devil and his
works, and fulfils the types, figures, and shadows of the Old
Testament and the prophets; in whom the promises are yea
and amen; who is the first and the last, the beginning and
the ending—the Eternal Rest. So keep and walk in Christ,
your Rest, every one that have received him.
“And now, dear Friends and brethren, whatever bustlings
and trouble, tumults and outrages, quarrels and strife,
arise in the world, keep out of them all; concern not yourselves
with them: but keep in the Lord’s power and peaceable
truth, that is over all such things; in which power ye
seek the peace and good of all men. Live in the love which
God hath shed abroad in your hearts through Christ Jesus;
in which nothing is able to separate you from God and
Christ, neither outward sufferings, persecutions, nor any outward
thing, that is below and without; nor to hinder or
break your heavenly fellowship in the light, gospel, and
Spirit of Christ; nor your holy communion in the Holy
Ghost, that proceeds from the Father and the Son, and
which leads you into all truth. In this Holy Ghost, in
which is your holy communion, that proceeds from the
Father and the Son, you have fellowship with the Father
and the Son, and one with another. This is it which links
411and joins Christ’s church or body together, to Him the
heavenly and spiritual head, and in unity in his Spirit,
which is the bond of peace, to all his church and living
members, in whom they have eternal rest and peace in
Christ, and with God everlasting, who is to be blessed and
praised for ever. Amen.
“Dear Friends, forsake not the assembling of yourselves
together, who are gathered in the name of Jesus, who is
your prophet, whom God hath raised up in the New Testament,
to be heard in all things; who opens to you, and no
man can shut; and shuts, and no man can open; who is
your Priest, made higher than the heavens by the power of
an endless life, by whom you are made a royal priesthood,
to offer up to God spiritual sacrifice; who is the Bishop of
your souls, to oversee you, that ye do not go astray from
God; who is the good Shepherd, that hath laid down his
life for his sheep; and they hear his voice, and follow him,
and he gives them eternal life.
“And now, dear Friends and brethren, abide in Christ,
the vine, that ye may bring forth fruit to the glory of God.
And as every one hath received Christ, walk in Him, who
is not of the world, that lies in wickedness; so that ye may
be preserved out of the vain fashions and customs of the
world, which satisfy the lust of the eye, the lust of the
flesh, and the pride of life, which are not of the Father, but
of the world that passes away. Whoever joins to that which
is not of the Father, or encourages it, draws the mind from
God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore let
Christ rule in your hearts, that your minds, souls, and spirits
may be kept out of the vanities of the world, in their words,
ways, and actions, that ye may be a peculiar people, zealous
of good works, serving the Lord through Jesus Christ, to the
praise and glory of God; that by the Word of his grace your
words may be gracious, and in your lives and conversations
ye may show forth righteousness, holiness, and godliness;
that so God Almighty may be glorified in you all, and through
you all, who is above all, blessed and praised for ever.
Amen.”
G. F.
London, the 11th of the 4th Month, 1685.
Several other letters also I wrote at this time to Friends
in divers foreign countries, from whom I had received letters
about the affairs of truth. Which when I had despatched,
the Yearly Meeting being over, and country Friends for the
most part being gone, I got a little way out of town; being
412much spent with the heat of the weather, throngs in meetings,
and continual business. I went at first to South Street,
where I abode some days. And among other services I had
there, a great sense entered me of the growth and increase
of pride, vanity, and excess in apparel; and that not only
amongst the people of the world, but too much also amongst
some that came among us, and seemed to make profession
of the truth. In the sense I had of the evil thereof, it came
upon me to give forth the following, as a reproof and check
thereunto:—[62]
“The apostle Peter saith (in 1 Pet. iii.) of the women’s
adorning; ‘Let it not be (mark, let it not be; this is a
positive prohibition) that outward adorning of plaiting the
hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but
let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not
corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit,
which is in the sight of God of great price; for after this
manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in
God, adorned themselves.’
“Here ye may see what is the ornament of the holy
women, which was in the sight of God of great price, and
which the holy women, who trusted in God, adorned themselves
with. But the unholy women, that trust not in God,
their ornament is not a meek and a quiet spirit; they adorn
themselves with plaiting the hair, putting on of apparel, and
413wearing of gold; which is forbidden by the apostle in his
general epistle to the church of Christ, the true Christians.
“And the apostle saith (1 Tim. ii. 9, 10), ‘In like manner
also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with
shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broidered hair, or
gold, or pearls, or costly array, but (which becometh women
professing godliness) with good works.’
“Here ye may see what the women were not to adorn
themselves with, who professed godliness; they were not to
adorn themselves with broidered hair, nor gold, nor pearls,
nor costly array; for this was not looked upon to be modest
apparel for holy women, that professed godliness and good
works. But this adorning or apparel is for the immodest,
unshamefaced, unsober women, that profess not godliness,
neither follow those good works that God commands. Therefore
it doth not become men and women who profess true
Christianity and godliness to be adorned with gold, or chains,
or pearls, or costly array; or with broidered hair; for these
things are for the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh,
and the pride of life, which are not of the Father. All holy
men and women are to mind that which is more precious
than gold; who are ‘redeemed not with corruptible things,
as silver and gold, from your vain conversation; but with
the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish
and without spot. Therefore as obedient children to God,
not fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts in
your ignorance; but as he which hath called you is holy, so
be ye holy in all manner of conversation,’ 1 Pet. i. 14, 15.
“Christ saith, ‘The life is more than meat, and the body
414is more than raiment,’ Luke xii. 23.
“I read“I read of a “wise moral philosopher, who, meeting
a woman with her neck and breast bare, laid his hand
upon her, and said, ‘Woman, wilt thou sell this flesh?’
and she replying, No; ‘Then pray,’ said he, ‘shut up thy
shop;’”shop;’” (meaning her bare breasts and neck). So they were
looked upon as harlots, that went with their necks, breasts,
and backs bare, and not modest people, even among the
moral heathens. Therefore they that profess the knowledge
of true Christianity, should be ashamed of such things. You
may see a book written by the very Papists, and another
by Richard Baxter the Presbyterian, against bare breasts and
bare backs. They that were but in an outward profession,
declared against such things; therefore they who are in the
possession of truth and true Christianity, should be ashamed
of such things. Read, I pray you, the third of Isaiah, and
there see how that holy prophet was grieved with the foolish
women’s vain attire, and how he was sent by the Lord to reprove
them. Envious, persecuting Jezebel’s attired head and
bravery, like a painted harlot out of the truth, did not keep
her from the judgments of God, when the Lord stirred up
Jehu against her. Doth not pride go before a fall, and a
haughty mind before destruction? God resisteth the proud,
and giveth grace to the humble. Solomon saith, ‘The Lord
will destroy the house of the proud,’ Prov. xv. 25. ‘For the
day of the Lord shall be upon every one that is proud and
lofty, &c., and he shall be brought low,’ Isa. ii. 12, and Mal.
iv. Therefore take heed of calling the proud happy; for
‘the Lord will scatter the proud in the imaginations of their
own hearts, and exalt them of low degree.’ And you may
read in the Revelations (chap. xvii. 4, and xviii. 16), of the
false church, how she was outwardly decked, but full of
abomination, and came to a downfall at last. Therefore it is
good for all that profess the truth, to use this world as not
abusing it; for the fashion of this world passeth away; but
the Word of the Lord endureth for ever. ‘The Lord taketh
pleasure in his people, he will beautify the meek with salvation,’
Psa. cxlix. 4. All that know the truth as it is in Jesus,
are to be beautified and clothed with this salvation, which
salvation is a strong wall or a bulwark against that spirit,
that would lead you further into the fall from God, into
those things which the fallen man and woman delight in,
and beautify or adorn themselves with. Therefore, all that
profess the truth, be circumspect, sincere, and fervent, following
the Lord Jesus Christ, who is not of this world; in whom
ye have life and peace with God.”God.”
G. F.
South-street, the 24th of the 4th Month, 1685.
CHAPTER XII.
415
1685-1686.—George Fox tarries in London, labouring in the service of
Truth—removes to Epping on account of his health—writes an
epistle to Friends—returns to London—writes a paper concerning
order in the Church of God—and a warning to backsliders—assists
in distributing money raised for sufferers by Friends in Ireland—writes
an epistle to the king of Poland, on behalf of Friends of
Dantzic, who suffer imprisonment for conscience’ sake—a paper
concerning judging—looks diligently after Friends’ sufferings in
London, and obtains a general release of prisoners—writes an epistle
to Friends, many having been recently liberated from prison—another
on a similar occasion—an epistle to Friends to keep in the
unity in the Truth—another to remind them of the evidence and
seal they had received of their meetings for discipline having been
set up in the power and spirit of God—a paper concerning the state
of the true Church—a paper respecting the “falling away” foretold
by the apostle Paul, 2 Thess. ii. 3—a paper showing how the Lord,
in all ages, called the righteous out from amongst the wicked, before
he destroyed the latter.
After I had been some weeks at South Street and Enfield,
in which time I had several meetings with Friends, I
returned to London. Amongst other services I found there,
one was to assist Friends in drawing up a testimony to clear
our Friends from being concerned in the late rebellion in
the West, and from all plots against the government: which
was delivered to the chief justice, who was then going down
into the West with commission to try prisoners.
I tarried some time in London, visiting meetings, and
labouring among Friends in the service of truth. But finding
my health much impaired for the want of fresh air, I
went to Charles Bathurst’s country-house at Epping-Forest,
where I stayed a few days. While I was there it came upon
me to write the following epistle to Friends:—
“Dear Friends,
“Who are called, chosen, and faithful in this day of trial,
temptations, and sufferings, whom the Lord by his right
416hand hath upholden in all your sufferings (and some to death)
for the Lord and his truth’s sake. Christ saith, ‘Be of good
cheer, I have overcome the world; in me ye have peace;
but in the world ye have trouble.’ The children of the Seed,
who are heirs of the kingdom, know this is true. And though
ye have trials by false brethren, Judases and sons of perdition,
that are got into the temple of God, and exalted above all that
is called God, whom the Lord will destroy with the breath
of his mouth, and the brightness of his coming: and though
ye be tried by powers or principalities, yet there is nothing
able to separate you from the love of God, which ye have in
Christ Jesus. In that love dwell, which bears all things and
fulfils the law; in which edify one another, and be courteous,
kind, and humble; for to such God giveth his grace plentifully,
and such he teacheth. And pray in the Holy Ghost,
which proceeds from the Father and the Son; in it keep
your holy communion, and unity in the Spirit, the bond of
peace, which is the king of kings’ heavenly peace. In that
you are all bound to good behaviour, to keep peace among
yourselves, to seek the peace of all men; and to show forth
the heavenly, gentle, and peaceable wisdom to all, in righteousness
and truth, answering the good in all people in your
lives and conversations (for the Lord is glorified in your
bringing forth spiritual fruit), that ye may eye and behold
the Lord in all your actions; that his blessings ye may all
feel to rest upon you.
“Whether ye be the Lord’s prisoners for his name and
truth’s sake, or at liberty, in all things labour to be content,
for that is a continual feast; and let no trouble move you;
then ye will be as Mount Sion, that cannot be removed. In
all things exercise the word of patience, which word will
sanctify all things to you. Study to be quiet, and do the
Lord’s business that he requires of you, and your own, in
truth and righteousness: and whatsoever ye do, let it be
done to the praise and glory of God in the name of Jesus
Christ. All they that make God’s people suffer, make the
Seed suffer in their own particulars, and imprison the Just
there. Such will not visit the Seed in themselves, but cast
it into prison in others, and not visit it in prison. You may
read that Christ saith, such must go into everlasting punishment.
That is a sad punishment and prison. All such as
become apostates and backsliders, that crucify to themselves
Christ afresh, put him to open shame, and trample under
feet the blood of the Son of God, by which they were cleansed,
and then come to be unclean; such grieve, vex, quench, and
rebel against, the Spirit of God in themselves; and then
rebel against them that walk in it. Such are unfaithful to
417God and man, and are enemies to every good work and service
of God: but their end will be according to their works;
who are like unto the earth, that hath often received rain,
but brings forth briars and thorns, which are to be rejected,
and are for the fire.
“Therefore, dear Friends, in all your sufferings feel the
Lord’s eternal arm and power, which hath supported you to
this day, and will to the end, as your faith stands in it, and
as you are settled upon the rock and foundation Christ
Jesus, that cannot be removed; in whom ye have life and
peace with God. The Lord God Almighty in him give you
dominion, and preserve you all to his glory; that in all your
sufferings ye may feel his presence: and that when ye have
finished your testimony, ye may receive the crown of glory,
which God hath laid up for them that fear and serve him.
Amen.”
G. F.
The 15th of the 7th Month, 1685.
Having spent about a week in the country, I returned to
London, where I continued about two months, visiting
meetings, and labouring to get relief for Friends from their
sufferings, which yet lay heavy upon them in many parts of
the nation. Several papers also I wrote relating to the service
of truth, one of which was concerning order in the
church of God, which some that were gone out of the unity
of Friends much opposed. It was as follows:—
“Among all societies, families, or nations of people in
the world, there exists some sort of order. There was the
order of Aaron in the Old Testament; and the order of
Melchizedeck before that, after whose order Christ Jesus
came; and he did not despise that order. God is a God of
order in his whole creation, and in his church: and all believers
in the light, the life in Christ, that pass from death to
life, are in the order of the Holy Spirit, power, light, life,
and government of Christ Jesus, of the increase whereof there
is no end. This is a mystery to all those disorderly people,
who have written and printed so much against the order
which the Lord’s power and Spirit hath brought forth among
his people. And you that cry so much against order, is it
not manifest that you are gone into a land of darkness, and
of the shadow of death, into disorder, and where the light is
as darkness? Is not this your condition seen by all them
that live and walk in the truth, whose conversations are according
to the gospel of life and salvation?
418“The devil, Satan, dragon, the first and second beast, the
whore and false prophets, and their worshippers and followers,
are all out of the truth, abode not in it, nor in the
order of it; and the truth is over them all. In Salem is God’s
tabernacle; and his tabernacle is in Shiloh; these are far beyond
the tabernacles of Ham. (Ps. lxxvi. and lxxviii.).
“All the figures and shadows were and are comprehended
in time; but Christ the substance is the beginning and the
ending. And all trials, troubles, persecutions, and temptations,
came up in time; but the Lord’s power which is everlasting,
is over all such things; in which is safety.
“The black world of darkness lieth in wickedness, and
by its wisdom knoweth not God, that made the world and
all things therein; for the god of the world and prince of the
air ruleth in the hearts of all that disobey the living God that
made them. So the God of this wicked world hath blinded
the eyes of the infidels or heathen; so that by their wisdom
they know not the living God.
“In the Old Testament the Lord said, ‘With all thy
offerings thou shalt offer salt.’ (Lev. ii. 13.). And Christ saith
in his new covenant, ‘Every one shall be salted with fire, and
every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt is good; but if
the salt have lost its saltness, wherewith will you season it?
Have salt in yourselves; and have peace one with another,’
Mark ix. 49, 50.
“We have received the earnest of the Spirit, which is the
earnest of the inheritance, that fadeth not away. For God
poureth out of his Spirit upon all flesh. It is God’s Spirit
which is above our natural spirit, by which alone we do not
know God; for it is by the Spirit of God that we know the
things of God. And the Spirit of God doth witness to our
souls and spirits, that this Spirit of God is the earnest of an
eternal inheritance. ‘God opens his people’s ears to discipline,
and commands that they turn from iniquity. If they
obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity
and their years in pleasures; but if they obey not, they
shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge,’
Job xxxvi. 10-12. So the disobedient that do not
turn from their iniquity have not this prosperity and pleasure,
but die without the knowledge of God; and their ears are
shut to this discipline, which God opens to his people.”
G. F.
When I had been about two months in London, I was
sent for to my son Rous’s at Kingston, to visit a daughter of
his, who at that time lay very sick; but recovered. Whilst
I stayed there I had several meetings with Friends; and
419returning by Hammersmith, stayed the First-day meeting
there, which was large and peaceable. Having visited Friends
thereabouts, I came back to London again, being very intent
upon the business of getting redress for suffering Friends.
In this and other services I continued at London, till the
latter end of the 11th month; save that I went to visit an
ancient Friend at Bethnal-Green, with whom I tarried
three or four days. While I was there, I was much exercised
in the sense of the enemy’s working, to draw from the holy
way of truth into a false liberty, and so into the world’s ways
and worships again. And the example of the backsliding
Jews coming before me, I was moved to write the following
as a warning to all such:—
“You may see, when the Jews rebelled against the good
Spirit of God, which he gave to instruct them, they forsook
him and his law, way, and worship, and went a whoring after
Balaam’s ways, and became like the wild ass’s colt, snuffing
up the wind, as in Jer. ii. 24. And in Jer. iii., see how Judah
played the harlot under every green tree, and upon every
high mountain: and therefore the Lord divorced Judah, as
he had divorced Israel, when she forsook his way and followed
the ways of the heathen. Though the Lord had fed
them to the full, yet they forsook him, ‘they committed
adultery, and assembled themselves together in harlots’ houses,’
Jer. v. 7. ‘And with their whoredom they defiled the land,
and committed adultery with stocks and stones,’ Jer. iii. 9.
Here you may see, when they forsook the living eternal God,
they followed the religions and worships of other nations,
whose gods were made of stocks and stones, which the Jews
worshipped, and committed adultery withal. When they
forsook the living God, and his way and worship, they forsook
the worship at the temple at Jerusalem, and followed
the heathen’s worships in the mountains and fields; so it
was called adultery and whoredom to join with other religions
and forsake God; as in Jer. xiii. 27.
“And now, if the children of New Jerusalem that is
above, should forsake the worship that Christ in his New
Testament set up (which is in Spirit and in truth) and follow
the worships of nations, which men have set up, will not
they that do so, commit adultery with them, in forsaking
God’s worship, and Christ, the new and living way?
“In Jer. xliv., ye may see how the children of Judah
420provoked the Lord against them, by worshipping the works
of their own hands, and following the gods of the land of
Egypt. In this they committed adultery, forsaking the living
God, their husband, and his worship; and there ye may see
God’s judgments pronounced against them to their destruction.
And what will become of those that forsake the worship in
Spirit and in truth, which Christ set up, and worship the
works of their own hands in spiritual Egypt, and follow
spiritual Egypt’s will-worship, which they invented? May
not this be called whoredom in them that forsake Christ, the
new and living way, his pure religion, and his worship, that
he hath set up? And they that forsake the Lord’s way, and
his worship that he set up, and follow the world’s ways and
worships that they set up, do not they, whose way they follow,
become at last their enemies? as in Lam. i. See how
the Jews forsook the Lord’s way and worship, and doted on
their lovers (the Assyrians, &c.) and with all their idols they
were defiled; and how they did not leave the whoredoms
brought from Egypt, and how they were polluted with the
Babylonians’ bed; as ye may read in Ezek. xxiii. When
they forsook the Lord, his way and worship, and followed
the way and worship of the heathen; then it was said they
went a whoring after other lovers, and committed adultery
with them.
“Ye may see in Ezek. xvi. the state of the Jews was
likened unto that of their sister Sodom, and how they had played
the harlot with the Assyrians, and committed fornication
with the Egyptians, and had increased their whoredoms in
following their abominable idols. And therefore the Lord
carried away the two tribes that forsook him into Babylon;
as you may see in Ezek. xvii. 20. And they that forsake
Christ, the new and living Way, and the worship of God in
Spirit and in truth, which Christ set up in his New Testament,
go into captivity in spiritual Babylon.
“In Hosea ii., see how he discovers the whoredoms and
idolatry of the Jews, who forsook the Lord, and compares
them to a harlot. And in chap, viii., the destruction
threatened against the Jews, for their impiety and idolatry.
In chap. ix. also, the distress and captivity of the Jews is
threatened for their sins and idolatry. And again they are
reproved and threatened for their impiety and idolatry,
Hos. x. This was for forsaking the Lord and his way, and
following the ways of their own inventions, and the ways of
the heathen.
“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
421the Lord threatened destruction upon her, chap, xxiii.
And in chap. lvii. see how the Lord reproved the Jews for
their whorish idolatry, and said, ‘Upon a 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
sawest it.’ This was a joining to the heathen’s religions,
altars, and sacrifices, and a forsaking of the Lord’s altar and
sacrifices, which he commanded in the law; and therefore
that was committing whoredom with the heathen, and 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, are not like to offer spiritual sacrifices to God;
the sacrifice of such God doth not accept, no more than he
did that of the heathens, or of the Jews, who rebelled against
his good Spirit, that he gave to instruct them.
“And ye may see in the xviith, xviiith, and xixth chapters
of the Revelations, 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.’ There ye may
read her judgment and her downfall. This whore are they,
that are whored from the Spirit of God, and so from God
and from his holy worship in spirit and in truth, from the
pure, undefiled religion, that keeps from the spots of the
world, and from the new and living way, Christ Jesus;
these are whored from the Spirit of God into false religions,
ways, and worships, and so have corrupted the earth with
her abominations. But her judgment and downfall are 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 in truth, Christ
hath set up, as it was in the apostles’ days. Hallelujah!”
G. F.
I soon returned to London, but made no long stay there,
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 looking after their sufferings to get
them eased, I assisted Friends of the city in distributing
certain sums of money, which our Friends of Ireland had
charitably and very liberally raised, and sent over for the
422relief of their brethren, who suffered for the testimony of a
good conscience; which money was distributed amongst
poor, suffering Friends in the several counties, in proportion
as we understood their need.
Before I left the city, I heard of a great doctor lately
come from Poland; whom I invited to my lodging, and had
much discourse with him. After I had informed myself by
him of such things as I had a desire to know, I wrote a letter
to the King of Poland on behalf of Friends at Dantzic, who
had long been under grievous sufferings. A copy whereof
follows:—
“To John the Third, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania,
Russia, and Prussia, Defender of the city of
Dantzic, &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 Dantzic 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 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 new covenant; who went astray
like scattered sheep, but now are returned to the chief
Shepherd and Bishop of their souls, 1 Pet. ii. 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 x.
“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 who openly confess Christ Jesus (yea, the magistrates
of Dantzic do the same,) should inflict those punishments
upon an innocent and harmless people, by reason of
their tender conscience, only because they come together to
serve and worship the Eternal God, who made them, in
423Spirit and in truth; which worship Christ Jesus set up
sixteen hundred years ago; as we read in John iv. 23, 24.
“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 were not conformable
in every particular to their religion, faith, and worship?
Where did the apostles exercise such things in the true
church after Christ’s ascension? Is not this the doctrine of
Christ and the apostles, that his followers should ‘love their
enemies, and pray for them that hate them and persecute
and despitefully use them?’ (Matt, v.)
“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? 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 should be known to be his disciples. And
did not Christ reprove those who would have ‘fire to come
down from heaven,’ to destroy them who would not receive
him? and did not he tell them, ‘they did not know what
spirit they were of?’ Have all who have persecuted men,
or taken away their lives, because they would not receive
their religion, known what spirit they were or are of? Is it
not good for all to know, by the Spirit of Christ, what spirit
they are of? For the apostle says, Rom. viii. 9, ‘If any man
have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.’ And
2 Cor. x. 4, ‘The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but
spiritual,’ &c. And ‘We wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against spiritual wickedness,’ &c. Thus we see, that the
fight of the first Christians, and their weapons in the days of
the apostles, were spiritual.
“Now would not the king and the magistrates of Dantzic
think it contrary to their consciences, it they should be
forced by the Turk to his religion? Would it not in like
manner seem hard to the magistrates of Dantzic, and contrary
to their consciences, if they should be forced to the religion
of the King of Poland? or to the King of Poland, if he
should be compelled to the religion of the magistrates of
Dantzic? And if they would not be subject thereunto, that
then they should be banished from their wives and families,
and out of their native country, or otherwise be fed with
bread and water under strict confinement?
“Therefore we beseech the king with all Christian
humility, and the magistrates, that they would order their
proceedings in this matter according to the royal law of God,
424which is, ‘to do unto others as they would have others do
unto them,’ and ‘to love their neighbour as themselves.’
For we have this charity, that we hope and believe, that the
King of Poland and his people, with the magistrates of
Dantzic, own the writings of the New Testament, as well as
of the Old; and therefore we beseech the king and magistrates
to take heed, that their work of imprisoning an
innocent people, for nothing but their meeting together, in
tenderness of conscience, to serve and worship God, their
Creator, may not be contrary and opposite to the royal law
of God, and to the glorious and everlasting gospel of truth.
“We desire the king, in Christian love, earnestly and
weightily to consider these things, and to give order to set
the innocent prisoners, our friends, called Quakers, at liberty
from their strict confinement in Dantzic; that they may
have freedom to serve and worship the Living God in Spirit
and in truth, to go home to their habitations, and follow
their trades and calling, to maintain their wives, children,
and families. And we believe that the king, in doing such
a noble, glorious, yea Christian work, will not go unrewarded
from the Great God who made him, whom we serve and
worship, who has the hearts of kings, and their lives and
length of days in his hands.
“From him who desires that the king and all his ministers
may be preserved in the fear of God, and receive his
Word of wisdom, by which all things were made and
created; that by it he may come to order all things to
the glory of God, which God has put under his hand:
that both he and they may enjoy the comforts and
blessings of the Lord in this life, and in that which is
to come, life eternal. Amen.”
G. F.
London, the 10th of the 3rd Month, commonly called May, 1684.
“Postscript.—The king may please to consider, that his
and all men’s consciences are the prerogative of God.”
After this I went to Enfield, where, and in the country
around, several Friends had country-houses, amongst whom
I tarried some time, visiting and being visited by Friends,
and having meetings with them. Several things I wrote in
this time, relating to the service of truth; one was “Concerning
judging:” for some, who had departed from the
truth, were so afraid of its judgment, that they made it much
of their business to cry out against judging. Wherefore I
425wrote a paper, proving by the Scriptures of truth, that the
church of Christ has power and ability to judge those that
profess to be of it, not only with respect to outward things
relating to this world, but with respect to religious matters
also. A copy of which follows:—
“Concerning Judging.
“‘The natural man receiveth not the things of the
Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, neither can he
know them, because they are spiritually discerned; but he
that is spiritual judgeth all things (mark all things); yet he
himself is judged of no man,’ 1 Cor. ii. 14, 15. So the
natural man cannot judge of those things he receives not,
for they are foolishness to him; but he is comprehended by
the spiritual man, and his foolishness, and is judged, though
he cannot judge the spiritual man.
“‘Do not ye judge them that are within?’ saith the
apostle (this power the church had, and hath,) ‘therefore‘therefore put
away from amongst yourselves that wicked person.’ Did
not this wicked person, think you, profess and plead for
liberty for his wickedness, and his freedom, as he was a
Christian, who was looked upon as a member of the church?
“The apostle saith, ‘For I verily, as absent in body, yet
present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were
present, concerning him that hath done this wicked deed,’
1 Cor. v. 3, 12. Here the apostle judged, though afar off,
and set up judgment in the church against false liberty,
under what pretence soever it was.
“And the apostle saith, ‘Dare any of you, having a
matter against a brother, go to law before the unjust, and not
before the saints?’ Here the saints, the church, are to judge
of things amongst themselves, and not for the unjust to judge
of their matters. ‘Do ye not know the saints shall judge
the world?’ So the saints are to judge the unjust, and not
the unjust to judge their matters.
“And farther, the apostle saith, ‘If the world shall be
judged by you (to wit, the saints,) are you unworthy to judge
the smallest matters amongst you?’
“It is thus clear that the saints have a judgment given
them of Christ, by his power and Spirit, light and wisdom,
to judge the world, and not to carry their matters before the
unjust, but to judge of them amongst themselves; and if
they carry them before the unjust, they show their unworthiness
of the saints’ judgment.
“Again, ‘Know ye not that we shall judge angels?
426(and angels are spirits) how much more things which pertain
to this life?’
“‘If ye then have judgment of things pertaining to this
life, set them up to judge who are least esteemed in the
church,’ 1 Cor. vi. 4. Here it is clear the church of Christ
has a judgment in the power and Spirit of God, not only to
judge in things that pertain to this life, but also to judge
of things between brethren, without brother going to law
with brother before unbelievers; which was a fault, and to
be judged, if they did so.
“But also the saints have a judgment to judge angels
that kept not their habitations; and the world. As in Jude,
‘He judged the angels that kept not their habitations, their
first state.’ Did not he judge in divine matters here? He
judged the state of Cain, and Balaam, and Core, and such
Christians as were in their steps, and were gone as far as they,
though they professed themselves Christians? Here again he
judged in divine matters; and of their states and beings, who
stood in the divine principle, and who were fallen from it.
“The apostle saith, ‘Try the spirits, and believe not
every spirit,’ 1 John iv. Here again was a judgment in
divine matters; and he judged such as went out from them;
these, whilst they were with them, had sight of things and
openings; but when they went from them they went from
the anointing; and therefore he exhorts the saints to keep
to the anointing. Such as went from them that had the
anointing, came to be the seducers and false prophets that
went into the world.
“John had a judgment to try sacrifices, and distinguished
Cain’s from Abel’s; and, by the Spirit of God, knew which
God accepted, and which he did not accept, 1 John iii. 12.
Paul judged and tried such messengers and apostles, and
transformers of themselves like to the apostles of Christ;
and would have the church to try such, and have the same
judgment that he had, 2 Cor. xi.
“The apostle Peter judged Ananias and Sapphira, and
the thoughts of Simon Magus, who would have been a worker
of miracles for money. Was not all this judgment in
divine matters? And the apostle Paul judged the preachers
of circumcision, both in the Romans and Galatians. For it
was the faith and liberty of those preachers to preach up
circumcision, though it was a wrong faith. Did not the
apostle here again judge in divine matters?
“James judged in matters of faith, and manifested the
living faith from the dead one. He also judged in matters
of religion, the vain from the pure religion, and distinguished
them.
427“Paul judged of the false brethren, that would spy out
the liberty of the true; to whom he would give no place by
subjection, no, not for an hour, that the truth of the gospel
might continue with the saints; as in Gal. ii. Did not the
apostle here judge in divine matters? and he judged concerning
the matters of the gospel when some came to pervert
them with another gospel, and said, ‘The gospel which I received
is not of man, neither was I taught it, but by the
revelation of Jesus Christ,’ Gal. i. 12. So here was a judgment
to distinguish the gospel of Christ from all other
gospels, which were accursed, which are after man, received
and taught of man, and not by the revelation of Jesus Christ,
Gal. i. And he had a judgment to know, ‘who made the
gospel chargeable, and who kept it without charge.’
“He set up a judgment in the church that the believers
should not be unequally yoked; and to see when men had
a communion in the light, and when they had it in the darkness;
when with Christ, and when with Baal; with the
believer and unbeliever; with the temple of God and with
idols: as in 2 Cor. vi. Did he not set up a clear judgment
here in divine matters in the church?
“And the apostle judged such libertines as through
their knowledge could sit at meat in the idol’s temple; who
through their knowledge and liberty caused the weak brother
to perish, for whom Christ died. These, it is like, did profess
it was their faith and their liberty; yet they did not
keep in the unity of the true faith, but went about to destroy
it, 1 Cor. viii.
“Peter gives judgment upon the angels that sinned, and
were cast down into hell; upon the state of the old world,
and of Sodom, and the state of the false prophets then
amongst them, that could speak great swelling words of
vanity; and whilst they promised them liberty, they themselves
were the servants of corruption. And had not Peter
here a judgment in divine matters? These were such whose
work was to bring into bondage, and these were like the dog
and sow that were washed; which shows that they
have been washed, but were turned into the mire again.
The apostle Paul had a judgment upon such as, with
their fair words and men’s wisdom, deceived the hearts of
the simple; and upon such as ‘served not the Lord Jesus
Christ, but their own bellies, and were enemies to the cross
of Christ.’ He had a judgment and discerning who lived in
the cross of Christ, and who did not; and exhorted all to
live in the cross of Christ, the righteous power of God, that
slew all deceit, and the deeds of the old man, agreeably to
Christ’s words, ‘He that will be my disciple, must take up
428his cross and follow me.’ Was not here a judgment again
in divine matters, of such as walked in the divine power,
and such as did not?
“Christ sets up a judgment in his seven churches, and
commends them that did keep in his judgment, and had tried
them which said, ‘they were apostles,’ who might pretend
they were sent of God and Christ, and were not; but the
church of Christ had found them liars. Christ commended
this judgment of the church of Ephesus, because they had
‘not borne with them that were evil, but had tried those
false apostles:’ and Christ commends this church, for they
had ‘hated the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which he also hated:’
and had not these Nicolaitanes sprung from Nicolas, one of
the deacons? and were not these become a sect of Christians?
though they might talk and preach of Christ, yet Christ hated
their doctrine.
“Christ saith to the church of Smyrna, ‘I know the
blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not,
but are of the synagogue of Satan.’ So the church is to have
a judgment upon these blasphemers, and to distinguish the
Jews in the Spirit from such as are not, but of the synagogue
of Satan.
“To the church in Pergamos Christ saith, ‘I have a few
things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold
the doctrines of Balaam,’ &c., and ‘also them that hold the
doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.’ Now, these
that held the doctrine of Balaam, and the doctrine of the
Nicolaitanes, were got into the church, and might look upon
themselves to be high Christians, and take great liberty to go
into Balaam’s doctrine, and Nicolas’s doctrine, which was
hated by Christ; but the church was to keep a spiritual and
divine judgment upon the heads of all these.
“To the church of Thyatira, saith Christ, ‘I have a few
things against thee, because thou sufferest the woman Jezebel
to teach, which seduces my people,’ &c. Here was a suffering,
which should have been a judgment by Christ’s Spirit,
upon that Jezebel, which was erred from his Spirit, and so
from Christ. Such as these were high preachers. And is
not the church to beware of suffering such now, lest they
come under the reproof of Christ, for not passing judgment
against the false teacher and seducer?
“The church of Sardis ‘had a name to live, but was dead,
and her works were not found perfect before God.’ There is
a judgment to be set up in the church, to judge all imperfect
works, and such as would have a name, but not the nature;
a name to live, but are dead. All the members of Christ’s
church must be in Christ, living members, and live to his
429name. This church had a few names that had not defiled
their garments, that did walk in white; but such as have a
name to live, but are dead, whilst they are in the dead state,
cannot walk in white, nor judge in divine matters. ‘Behold,’
saith Christ, ‘I will make them of the synagogue of Satan,
which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I
will make them to come, and to worship before thy feet, and
to know that I have loved thee,’ Rev. iii. 9.
“And to the church of Laodicea, that was ‘neither cold
nor hot,’ but lukewarm; ‘I would thou wert cold or hot: I
will spew thee out of my mouth, because thou saidst thou
wast rich, and wanted nothing; when thou wast wretched,wretched,
miserable, poor, blind, and naked.’ Now this was for want
of living in the Power and Spirit of Christ. These could
talk of high experiences, and great enjoyments, but were
naked, miserable, and blind; so lived not in the power, and
Spirit, the light, and righteousness of Christ, by which they
might be clothed, and have the eternal riches. So the church
of Christ had a spiritual judgment given to them that are
faithful in his power, and Spirit, and light, to judge of temporal
things, and the things of this life; and to judge of
eternal and divine things and states; of angels and wicked
men, and such as go from truth; and of the states of election
and reprobation; yea, and of the devils who are out of truth;
these being in Christ Jesus, who is the First and Last, from
whom they have the eternal judgment, to judge eternal,
spiritual, and divine things; and in this Word of power and
wisdom, by which all things were made, and by which all
things are upheld, to order all things to God’s glory, and to
judge of all things in righteousness.
“The apostle judged, and set up a judgment in the church,
of gifts, of prophecies, of mysteries, of faith, and of giving
the body to be burned, and of giving goods to the poor, and
of speaking with tongues of men and angels; and yet, if they
had not love, all this was nothing, but as a sounding brass and
tinkling cymbal. Therefore they are to be tried by the fruits
of the good Spirit, which is love. So here the apostle not
only judged himself in divine things, but set up a judgment
in the church in those spiritual and divine matters.
“The apostle James judges of fountains, and of fig-trees,
of the wisdom from below, and of the wisdom from above,
and of the fruits of both, James iii. And Paul judged
in divine matters when he said, ‘The Spirit spake
expressly, that in the latter times some should depart from
the faith,’ 1 Tim. iv. And he judged in divine matters,
when he judged all those teachers that were high-minded,
and had got the form of godliness, but denied the power;
430and termed them like unto Jannes and Jambres, who withstood
Moses, coming out of outward Egypt; as these with
their form of godliness, oppose Christ and his power, that
brings them out of spiritual Egypt now. Was not he a judge
here in divine matters, who judged such as had gotten the
form of godliness, but denied the divine power? 2 Tim. iii.
“When the apostle said, ‘the priesthood of Aaron was
changed, and the law was changed, and the commandment
disannulled, that gave them their tithes,’ didtithes,’ did not he judge
here in divine and spiritual matters? and was not the law
spiritual, which served till the Seed came?
“Did not the apostle judge in divine and spiritual
matters, in the sixth of the Hebrews, where he saith, ‘Let
us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of
repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God, and
of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and
of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment:
and this will we do, if God permit,’ &c. And does not the
apostle judge here, ‘that it was impossible for those who
were once enlightened, and tasted of the heavenly gift, and
were partakers of the Holy Ghost, and had tasted of the good
word of God, and of the power of the world to come, if they
shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing
they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put
him to open shame?’ Heb. vi. Were not these spiritual,
eternal, and divine matters and states, that the apostle judged
of? and have not the saints the same judgment given unto
them in the same Spirit? Have not the apostles and the
church a spiritual judgment to judge of prophets, mysteries,
faith, apostles, angels, the world, and the devil? And is not
this judgment given them of God in divine matters, besides
the judgment given them in matters pertaining unto this life?
“And had not they judgment to discern the true gospel
from the false? and all such as had a profession of the form,
and did not live in the power? and such as spoke the things
of God, in the words that man’s wisdom did teach? which
things of God were not to be spoken in the words which
man’s wisdom taught, but in the words which the Holy
Ghost taught. Therefore did not the apostle exhort to know
the power, and that their faith might stand in the power of
God? for the kingdom of God stands not in word but in
power.
“Had not all the prophets a divine judgment to judge
in divine matters? as Jeremiah, when he judged the prophets.
Ezekiel also judged all such as came with a pretence
of the Word of the Lord, using their tongues, and saying,
‘Thus saith the Lord, when the Lord never spoke unto them;’
431as in Jer. xxiii. Exek. xiii., and many other places might be
instanced. Did not he judge Hananiah, who prophesied
falsely? and did not this Hananiah pretend to speak the
Word of the Lord to the priests and people? as in Jer. xxviii.
“Did not Isaiah judge in divine matters, when he
judged the watchmen and the shepherds? Isa. lvi. Did not
Micah judge in divine and spiritual matters when he said,
‘he was full of power by the spirit of the Lord, and of judgment?’
Did not he judge of priests, prophets, and judges,
though they would lean upon the Lord, and say, ‘Is not the
Lord amongst us, and no evil can come unto us;’ yet did not
he let them see their states and conditions, and divide the
precious from the vile? Mic. iii. And so the rest of the prophets.
You may see they judged for God in his divine
matters, ‘who served him, and who served him not; and who
lived in truth, and who not;’ and likewise the apostles. And
this divine, spiritual, and heavenly judgment was given of
God to his holy men and women.
“They that judge in God’s divine matters, must live in
his divine Spirit, power, and light now, as they did then;
which spiritual and divine judgment Christ has given to his
church, the living stones, and living members, that make up
his spiritual household; to try Jews, apostles, and prophets;
to try faiths and religions, trees and fruits, shepherds and
teachers; and to try spirits. So the living members have a
living, divine judgment in the church of Christ, which he is
the Head of, the Judge of all.
“Nay, the church has a power given them, which is
farther than a judgment: for what they ‘bind on earth, is
bound in heaven by the power of God: and what they loose
on earth is loosed in heaven by the power of God.’ This
power has Christ given to his living members, the church.”
G. F. to Friends.
The 20th of the 12th Month, 1685-6.
I came back to London in the 1st month, 1686, and set
myself with all diligence to look after Friends’ sufferings,
from which we had now some hopes of getting relief. The
sessions came on in the 2nd month at Hicks’s Hall, where
many Friends had appeals to be tried; with whom I was
from day to day, to advise and see that no opportunity were
slipped, nor advantage lost; and they generally succeeded
well. Soon after also the king was pleased, upon our often
laying our sufferings before him, to give order for the “releasing
of all prisoners for conscience’ sake that were in his
432power to discharge.” Whereby the prison-doors were opened,
and many hundreds of Friends, some of whom had been long
in prison, were set at liberty. Some of them, who had for
many years been restrained in bonds, came now up to the
Yearly Meeting, which was in the 3rd month this year. This
caused great joy to Friends, to see our ancient, faithful
brethren, again at liberty in the Lord’s work, after their long
confinement. And indeed a precious meeting we had; the
refreshing presence of the Lord appearing plentifully with
us and amongst us.
After the meeting I was moved to write a few lines, to
be sent amongst Friends: the tenor whereof was thus:—
“Dear Friends,
“My love is to you all in the holy Seed, Christ Jesus,
that bruises the serpent’s head, and destroys the devil and
his works; and who hath all power in heaven and in earth
given him. Let every one’s faith stand in Him, and in his
power, who is the author and finisher of your faith. And
now for you, who have been partakers of his power, and are
sensible of it in this day of his power, that is over darkness
and its power; by whose power the hearts of the king and
rulers have been opened, and your outward prison-doors set
open for your liberty, my desires are, that all may be preserved
in humility and thankfulness, in the sense of the
mercies of the Lord; and live in the peaceable truth, that is
over all; that ye may answer God’s grace, and his light and
Spirit in all, in a righteous, godly life and conversation. Let
none be lifted up by their outward liberty, neither let any be
cast down by suffering for Christ’s sake; but all live in the
Seed (which is as wheat) which is not shaken, nor blown
away by the winds and storms, as the chaff is. Which Seed
of life none below can make higher or lower; for the
children of the Seed are the children of the everlasting, unchangeable
kingdom of Christ and God. In Christ Jesus,
whom God hath given you for a sanctuary, God almighty
keep you, in whom ye have life everlasting, and wisdom
from above, which is pure, peaceable, gentle, and easy to be
entreated, full of mercy and good fruits; that all now may
be exercised in, and may practise this wisdom in holy lives
and conversations; so that this wisdom may be justified of
all her children, and they exercised and preserved in it in
this day of the power of Christ, in which all his people are
433made a willing people, to serve and worship God in Righteousness
and holiness, in Spirit and in truth.
“Let none abuse the power of the Lord, nor grieve his
Spirit, by which you are sealed, and kept to the day of salvation
and redemption; but always exercise yourselves to have
‘a good conscience, void of offence towards God and towards
all men,’ being exercised in holiness, godliness, and righteousness;
and in the truth, and in the love of it. All study
to be approved unto God in innocency, virtue, simplicity,
and faithfulness, labouring and studying to be quiet in the
will of God. ‘And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do
all in the name of the Lord Jesus; giving thanks to God the
Father by him;’ that he who is over all, may have the praise
for all his mercies and blessings, with which he hath refreshed
his people, and by his eternal arm and power hath kept and
preserved them to this day; glory to his name over all for
ever. Amen!
“Christ hath called you by his grace into one body, to him
the holy Head; therefore live in charity, and in the love of
God, which is the bond of perfectness in his body. This love
edifies the body of Christ; which body and all his members
are knit together, and increased with the increase of God,
from whom they receive nourishment. For by one Spirit
we are all baptised into one body, and have been made all to
drink into one Spirit, in which Spirit the body and all its
members have fellowship with Christ, the head, and one
with another. The unity of this Holy Spirit is the bond of
peace of all the living members of Christ Jesus, of which he
is the spiritual Head, Rock, and Foundation. In the midst
of his church of living members, Christ exercises his spiritual
prophetical office, to open to them the mysteries of his kingdom.
He is a spiritual Bishop to oversee them, that they do
not go astray from the living God that made them; a
Shepherd that feeds them with bread and water of life from
heaven; and none is able to pluck his sheep out of his hands.
He is a Priest that died for them, sanctifies them, and presents
them to God; who ruleth in their hearts by the divine faith,
which he is the author and finisher of. His living members
praise God through Jesus Christ, in whom they have life and
salvation, who reconciles them to God, that they can say they
have ‘peace with God through Jesus Christ;’ and so praise
God through him that was dead, and is alive again, who
reigns over all, and liveth for evermore, blessed for ever;
Hallelujah. Amen!
“Greet one another with a holy kiss of charity. Love
or charity beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all
things, endureth all things. It envieth not, vaunteth not
434itself, is not puffed up, nor doth it behave itself unseemly.
It rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. Charity
is not easily provoked, and thinks no evil, but suffereth long
and is kind. Charity never faileth. I say, greet one another
with this holy kiss of charity, and peace be with you all,
that are in Christ Jesus, your life and salvation.”
G. F.
The 30th of the 3rd Month, 1686.
I remained most part of this year in London, save that
sometimes I got out to Bethnal-Green for a night or two,
or as far as Enfield and thereabouts amongst Friends, and
once or twice to Chiswick, where an ancient Friend had set
up a school for the educating of Friends’ children; in all
which places I found service for the Lord. At London, I
spent my time amongst Friends, either in public meetings
(as the Lord drew me) or visiting those that were not well,
and in looking after the sufferings of Friends. For though
many were released out of prisons, yet some remained
prisoners still for tithes, &c., and sufferings of several sorts
lay heavy on Friends in many places. Yet inasmuch as many
Friends, that had been prisoners, were now set at liberty, I
felt a concern upon me, that none might look too much at
man, but might eye the Lord therein, from whom deliverance
comes. Wherefore I wrote an epistle to them, as
follows:—
“Friends,
“The Lord, by his eternal power, hath opened the heart
of the king to open the prison doors, by which about fifteen or
sixteen hundred are set at liberty, and hath given a check to
the informers; so that in many places our meetings are pretty
quiet. My desires are, that both liberty and sufferings may
be sanctified to his people, that Friends may prize the mercies
of the Lord in all things, and to him be thankful, who stilleth
the raging waves of the seas, allayeth the storms and
tempests, and maketh a calm. Therefore it is good to
trust in the Lord, and cast your care upon him, who careth
for you. For when ye were in jails and prisons, the Lord
did, by his eternal arm and power, uphold you, and sanctified
them to you (and unto some he made them as a sanctuary),
and tried his people as in a furnace of affliction, both in
prisons and spoiling of goods. In all this the Lord was with
435his people, and taught them to know that ‘the earth is the
Lord’s and the fulness thereof;’ and that he was in all
places; ‘who crowneth the year with his goodness,’ Psal. lxv.
Therefore let all God’s people be diligent, and careful to
keep the camp of God holy, pure, and clean, and to serve God
and Christ, and one another in the glorious, peaceable gospel
of life and salvation, which glory shines over God’s camp;
and his great Prophet, Bishop, and Shepherd is among, or in
the midst of them, exercising his heavenly offices in them;
so that you his people may rejoice in Christ Jesus, through
whom you have peace with God. For he that destroyeth the
devil and his work, and bruises the serpent’s head, is all God’s
people’s heavenly Foundation and Rock to build upon;
which was the holy prophets’ and apostles’ Rock in days
past, and is now the Rock of our age; which Rock and
Foundation of God standeth sure. Upon this the Lord God
establish all his people. Amen.”
G. F.
London, the 25th of the 7th Month, 1686.
Divers other epistles and papers I wrote this year; one
of which was an exhortation “to Friends to keep in unity in
the truth, in which there is no division nor separation;” it
was thus:—
“Dear Friends and Brethren in the
Lord Jesus Christ,
“In whom ye have all peace and life, and in whom
there is no division, schism, rent, strife, nor separation; for
Christ is not divided: there can be no separation in the
truth, nor in the light, grace, faith, and Holy Ghost, but
unity, fellowship, and communion. For the devil was the
first that went out of the truth, separated from it, and
tempted man and woman to disobey God, and to go from
the truth into a false liberty, to do that which God forbade.
So it is the serpent now that leads men and women into a
false liberty, even the God of the world, from which man
and woman must be separated by the truth; that Christ the
Truth may make them free, and then they are free indeed.
Then they are to stand fast in that liberty, in which Christ
hath made them free, and in Him there is no division, schism,
rent, or separation; but peace, life, and reconciliation to God,
and to one another. So in Christ, male and female are all
one; for whether they be male or female, Jew or Gentile,
bond or free, they are all one in Christ. And there can be
no schism, rent, or division in Him; nor in the worship of
God, in his Holy Spirit and truth; nor in the pure and undefiled
religion, that keeps from the spots of the world; nor
436in the love of God that beareth and endureth all things; nor
in the Word of God’s grace, for it is pure and endureth for
ever.
“Many, you see, have lost the Word of patience and the
Word of wisdom, that is pure, and peaceable, and gentle, and
easy to be entreated: then they run into the wisdom that is
below, that is ‘earthly, sensual, and devilish,’ and very uneasy
to be entreated. They go from the love of God that
beareth all things, endureth all things, thinketh no evil, and
doth not behave itself unseemly: then they cannot bear, but
grow brittle, and are easily provoked, run into unseemly
things, and are in that, that vaunteth itself, are puffed up,
rash, heady, high-minded, and fierce, and become as sounding
brass, or a tinkling cymbal; but this is contrary to the nature
of the love of God. Therefore, dear Friends and brethren,
dwell in the love of God; for they who dwell in love, dwell
in God, and God in them. Keep in the Word of wisdom,
that is gentle, pure, and peaceable, and in the Word of
patience, that endureth and beareth all things; which Word
of patience the devil, and the world, and all his instruments
can never wear out; it will wear them all out; for it was
before they were, and will be, when they are gone, the pure,
holy Word of God, by which all God’s children are born
again, feed on the milk thereof, and live and grow by it. My
desires are, that ye may all be of one heart, mind, soul, and
spirit in Christ Jesus. Amen.”
G. F.
Soon after this, finding those apostates, whom the enemy
had drawn out into division and separation from Friends,
continued their clamour and opposition against our monthly,
quarterly, and yearly meetings, it came upon me to write
another short epistle to Friends, to put them in mind of the
“evidence and seal they had received in themselves by the
Spirit of the Lord, that those meetings were of the Lord, and
accepted by him,” that so they might not be shaken by the
adversaries. I wrote as follows:—
“My dear Friends in the Lord Jesus Christ!
“All you, that are gathered in his holy name, know, that
your meetings for worship, your quarterly, monthly and
other meetings are set up by the power and Spirit of the Lord
God, and witnessed by his Spirit and power in your hearts;
and by the Spirit and power of the Lord God they are established
to you, and in the power and Spirit of the Lord
God you are established in them. The Lord God hath with
437his Spirit sealed to you, that your meetings are of his ordering
and gathering, and he hath owned them, by honouring
you with his blessed presence in them; and you have had
great experience of his furnishing you with his wisdom, life,
and power, and heavenly riches from his treasure and fountain,
by which many thanks and praises have been returned
in your meetings to his holy, glorious name. He hath sealed
your meetings by his Spirit to you, and that your gathering
together hath been by the Lord, to Christ his Son, and in his
name: and not by man. So the Lord hath the glory and
praise of them and in them, who hath upheld you and them,
by the arm of his power, against all opposers and backsliders,
and their slanderous books and tongues. For the Lord’s
power and Seed doth reign over them all, in which he doth
preserve his sons and daughters to his glory, by his eternal
arm and power, in his work and service, as a willing people
in the day of his power, without being weary or fainting, but
strong in the Lord, and valiant for his glorious name and
precious truth, and his pure religion; that ye may serve the
Lord in Christ Jesus, your Rock and Foundation, in your age
and generation. Amen.”
G.F.
London, the 3rd of 11th Month, 1686-7.
A little after it came upon me to write something concerning
the state of the true church, and of the true members
thereof, as follows:—
“Concerning the Church of Christ being clothed with the Sun, and having the Moon under her feet.
“They are living members, living stones, built up a
spiritual household, children of the promise, and of the Seed
and flesh of Christ; and as the apostle saith, ‘Flesh of his
flesh, and bone of his bone.’ They are the good seed, the
children of the everlasting kingdom written in heaven; and
have put on the Lord Jesus Christ. They sit together in
heavenly places in Christ, are clothed with the Sun of Righteousness,
Christ Jesus, and have the moon under their feet, as
Rev. xii. So all changeable things, that are in the world, all
changeable religions, worships, ways, fellowships, churches,
and teachers in the world, are as the moon; for the moon
changes, but the sun doth not change. The Sun of Righteousness
never changeth, nor goes down; but all the ways,
religions, worships, fellowships of the world, and the teachers
thereof, change like the moon.
“The true church, which Christ is the head of, which is
in God, the Father, is called ‘the pillar and ground of truth,’
438whose conversation is in heaven; this church is clothed with
the Sun, Christ Jesus, her head, who doth not change, and
hath all changeable things under her feet. These are the
living members, born again of the Immortal Seed, by the
Word of God, who feed upon the immortal milk, and live
and grow by it. Such are the new creatures in Christ Jesus,
who makes all things new, and sees the old things pass away.
His church and all his members, which are clothed with the
Sun, their worship is in Spirit, and in truth, which doth not
change; which truth the devil, the foul, unclean spirit, is
out of, and cannot get into this worship in Spirit and in
truth. Their religion is pure and undefiled before God, that
keeps from the spots of the world, &c., and their way is the
new and living way, Christ Jesus. So the church of Christ,
that is clothed with the Sun, that hath the moon and all
changeable religions and ways under her feet, hath an unchangeable
worship, religion, and way, an unchangeable Rock
and Foundation, Christ Jesus, and an unchangeable High
Priest; and so are children of the New Testament, and in the
everlasting Covenant of Light and Life.
“Now all, that profess the Scriptures both of the New
and Old Testament, and are not in Christ Jesus, the apostle
tells them, they are ‘reprobates, if Christ be not in them.’
Therefore these, that are not in Christ, cannot be clothed
with Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, that never changes.
They are under the changeable moon, in the world, in the
changeable things, changeable religions, ways, worships,
teachers, rocks, and foundations. But Christ, the Son of God,
and Sun of Righteousness, doth not change; in whom his
people are gathered, and sit together in heavenly places in
him, clothed with Christ Jesus, the Sun, who is the mountain,
that filleth the whole earth with his divine power and
light. So all his people see him, and feel him both by sea
and land. He is in all places of the earth, felt and seen of
all his. And Christ Jesus saith to the outward professors, the
Jews, ‘I am from above,’ ye are from below, ‘ye are of this
world.’ So their religions, worships, ways, teachers, faiths,
beliefs, and creeds are made by men, and are below, of this
world that changeth like the moon. You may see their religions,
ways, worships, and teachers, are all changeable, like
the moon; but Christ, the Sun, with which the church is
clothed, doth not change, nor his church; for they are spiritually
minded, and their way, worship, and religion is spiritual,
from Christ, who is from above, and not of this world.
Christ hath redeemed his people from the world, and its
changeable rudiments, elements, and old things, and from its
changeable teachers, faiths, and beliefs. For Christ is the
439author and finisher of his church’s faith, who is from above,
and saith, ‘Believe in the light, that ye may become children
of light;’ and it is given them not only to believe, but to
suffer for his name. So this faith and belief is above all
faiths and beliefs, which change, like the moon. God’s people
are a holy nation, a peculiar people, a spiritual household,
and royal priesthood, offering up spiritual sacrifice to God, by
Jesus Christ; and are zealous of righteous, godly, good works;
and their zeal is for that which is of God, against the evil
which is not of God.
“Christ took upon him the seed of Abraham; he doth
not say, the corrupt seed of the Gentiles: so, according to the
flesh, he was of the holy seed of Abraham and of David; and
his holy body and blood was an offering and a sacrifice for
the sins of the whole world, as a lamb without blemish, whose
flesh saw no corruption. By the one offering of himself in
the New Testament or New Covenant, he has put an end to
all the offerings and sacrifices amongst the Jews in the Old
Testament. Christ, the holy Seed, was crucified, dead, and
buried, according to the flesh, and raised again the third day;
and his flesh saw no corruption. Though he was crucified
in the flesh, yet he was quickened again by the Spirit, and is
alive, and liveth for evermore; he hath all power in heaven
and in earth given to him, and reigneth over all; and is the
one Mediator between God and man, even the man Christ
Jesus.
“Christ said, ‘He gave his flesh for the life of the world:’
and the apostle says, ‘His flesh saw no corruption:’ so that
which saw no corruption he gave for the life of the corrupt
world, to bring them out of corruption. Christ said again,
‘He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal
life: for my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
And he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood
dwelleth in me, and I in him.’ He that eats not his flesh
and drinks not his blood, which is the life of the flesh, hath
not eternal life. As the apostle saith, all died in Adam; then
all are dead. Now all coming spiritually to eat the flesh of
Christ, the second Adam, and drink his blood, his blood and
flesh gives all the dead in Adam, life, and quickens them out
of their sins and trespasses, in which they were dead; so
they come to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
living members of the church of Christ, that he is the head
of; are clothed with the Sun of Righteousness, the Son of
God, that never changes, and have the changeable moon under
their feet, and all changeable, worldly things and inventions,
and works of men’s hands. These see the people, how they
change from one worship to another, from one religion to another,
440from one way to another, and from one church to another;
and yet their hearts are not changed. The letter of
Scripture is read by the Christians like the Jews; but the
mystery is hid: they have the sheep’s clothing, the outside,
but are inwardly ravened from the Spirit, which should bring
them into the Lamb’s and Sheep’s nature. The Scripture
saith, ‘All the uncircumcised must go down into the pit:’
and therefore all must be circumcised with the Spirit of God,
which puts off the body of death, and sins of the flesh, that
came into man and woman by their disobedience, and transgressing
of God’s commands. I say, all must be circumcised
with the Spirit, which puts off the body of death and sins of
the flesh, before they come up into Christ, their Rest, that
never fell, and be clothed with Him, the Sun of Righteousness.”
G. F.
Towards the latter end of this year I went to Kingston
to visit Friends there; and stayed some time at my son Rous’s.
I wrote there a paper concerning “the falling away” foretold
by the apostle Paul, 2 Thess. ii. 3, as follows:—
“The apostle saith that there must be ‘a falling away’
first, before the wicked one, that man of sin, the son of perdition,
be revealed, which betrayeth Christ within, as the son
of perdition betrayed Christ without; and they that betray
Christ within, crucify to themselves Christ afresh, and put
him to open shame. Before the apostles died, this man of sin,
the son of perdition, was revealed: for they saw antichrist
come, and false prophets, false apostles, and deceivers come,
having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.
They saw the wolves dressed in the sheep’s clothing, and
such as went in Cain’s, Korah’s, and Balaam’s way, and Jezebel’s;
and the whore of Babylon, the whore of confusion, the
mother of harlots, and such as were enemies to the cross of
Christ, that served not the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own
bellies. These Christ saw should come, and said, ‘If it were
possible, they should deceive the elect;’ and commanded his
followers not to go after them. The apostle said, ‘Turn
away from such;’ and Christ and his apostles warned the
church of Christ of such.
“And now, in this day of Christ and his gospel, after the
long night of apostasy from the light, grace, truth, life, and
Spirit of Christ Jesus, the son of perdition, the wicked one,
the man of sin, is revealed again; and the inwardly ravening
wolves in sheep’s clothing, and the spirit of Cain, Korah,
Balaam, Jezebel, the antichrists, false prophets, and false
apostles, and such as are enemies to the cross of Christ, who
441serve not the Lord Jesus, but their own bellies; and crucify
Christ to themselves, and put him to open shame. This
spirit have we seen in this gospel-day of Christ; but Christ
will consume them with the Spirit of his mouth, and destroy
them with the brightness of his coming. But God’s people,
whom he hath chosen unto salvation in Christ from the beginning,
‘through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of
the truth,’ stand stedfast in Christ Jesus; and are thankful
to God, by and through his Son, their rock and salvation,
who is their happiness and eternal inheritance.
“The apostle saith, ‘Ye were as sheep going astray; but
are now returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.’
So when people are returned to Christ, their Shepherd, they
know his voice, and follow him; and are returned to the
Bishop of their souls: then they believe in him, and receive
wisdom and understanding from him, who is from above,
heavenly and spiritual. Then they act like spiritual and
holy men and women; and come to be members of the
church of Christ. Then a spiritual care cometh upon the
elders in Christ, that all the members walk in Christ, in his
light, grace, Spirit, and truth, that they may adorn their profession
of Christ; and see that all walk in the order of the
Holy Spirit, and the everlasting gospel of peace, life, and
salvation. This order keeps out of confusion; for the gospel
of peace, the power of God, was before confusion was. And
all the heirs of the gospel are heirs of its order, and are in
this gospel, which brings life and immortality to light in
them; by which all may see their work and service in it, to
look after the poor, widows, and fatherless, and to see that
nothing be lacking; and that all honour the Lord in their
lives and conversations.
“When the whole house of Israel were in their graves
and sepulchres, and were called ‘the scattered dry bones,’
yet they could speak, and say, ‘their bones were dry, their
hope was lost,’ or they were without hope, ‘and they were
cut off.’ They were alive outwardly, and could speak outwardly.
So that which is called Christendom may very well
be called ‘the scattered dry bones,’ and they may be said to
be in their graves and sepulchres, dead from the heavenly
breath of life, the Spirit and Word of life, that gathereth to
God. Though they can speak, and are alive outwardly, yet
they remain in the congregations or churches of the dead,
that want the virtue of life. For the Jews, whom God poured
his Spirit upon, and gave them his law, when they rebelled
against the Spirit of God, and turned from God and his law,
came to be dry scattered bones, and were turned into their
graves and sepulchres. So Christendom, that is turned from
442the grace, truth, and light of Christ, and the Spirit, that God
poureth upon all flesh, they are become the scattered dry
bones, are in their graves and sepulchres, and are the congregations
or churches of the dead, though they can speak,
and are alive outwardly.
“Christ saith, ‘I am come that they might have life, and
that they might have it more abundantly.’ He gave his
flesh for the life of the world. And he saith, ‘I am the
resurrection and the life’; and, ‘I am the way, the truth, and
the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ Christ
is the quickening Spirit. All being dead in Adam, are to be
quickened and made alive by Christ, the second Adam. And
when they are quickened and made alive by him, they meet
together in the name of Jesus Christ their Saviour, who died
for their sins, and is risen for their justification; who was
dead and is alive again, and liveth for evermore. All whom
he hath quickened and made alive (even all the living) meet
in the name of Jesus, who is alive, and He, their living
Prophet, Shepherd, and Bishop, is in the midst of them;
and is their living Rock and Foundation, and a living Mediator
between them and the living God. So the living praise
the living God through Jesus Christ, through whom they
have peace with God. All the living have rest in Christ,
their life. He is their sanctification, their righteousness,
their treasure of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding,
which is spiritual and heavenly. He is the spiritual tree and
root, which all the believers in the light, the life in Christ,
that pass from the death in Adam to the life in Christ, and
overcome the world, and are born of God, are grafted into;
even Christ, the heavenly tree, which beareth all the spiritual
branches or grafts. These meet in his name, are gathered in
him, and sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, their
life, who hath quickened and made them alive. So all the
living worship the living God in his Holy Spirit and truth,
in which they live and walk. Into this worship, the foul,
unclean spirit, the devil, cannot get; for the Holy Spirit and
truth is over him, and he is out of it. This is the standing
worship, which Christ set up in his new covenant. And
they that are quickened by Christ are the living stones,
living members, and spiritual household and church, or congregation
of Christ, who is the living head and husband.
They that are made alive by Christ are a living church, have
a living head, and are come from the congregations or
churches of the dead in Adam, where death and destruction
talk of God, and of his prophets and apostles, in their wisdom
that is below, earthly and devilish; in the knowledge that
is brutish, and in the understanding that comes to naught.
443For what they know is natural, by their natural tongues,
arts, sciences; in which they corrupt themselves. This is
the state of the dead in Adam: but the quickened, they that
are made alive by Christ, discern between the living and the
dead.”
G.F.
Kingston-upon-Thames, the 12th Month, 1686-7.
While I was at Kingston, I wrote also another paper,
showing “that the Lord, in all ages, called the righteous out
from amongst the wicked, before he destroyed them;” after
this manner:—
“Noah and his family were called into the ark, before
the old world was destroyed with the flood. And all the
faithful generation, that lived before, were taken away, and
died in the faith, before that flood of destruction came upon
the wicked old world.
“The Lord called Lot out of Sodom, before he destroyed
and consumed it, and the wicked there.
“Christ said, ‘It cannot be that a prophet perish out of
Jerusalem:’ and he said, ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which
killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto
thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together,
as a hen gathereth her brood under her wings! and ye would
not,’ Luke xiii. 33, 34. And he said to the Jews, ‘Therefore
also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and
apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute;
that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the
foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
from the blood of Abel, unto the blood of Zacharias, which
perished between the altar and the temple. Verily, I say unto
you, it shall be required of this generation,’ Luke xi. 49-51.
And he said to the Jews, ‘Behold your house is left
unto you desolate,’ Matt. xxiii. 34, &c. Christ told his
disciples, that the temple at Jerusalem should be thrown
down, and there should not be one stone left upon another,
that should not be thrown down, Matt. xxiv. 2. Also, that
he must go to Jerusalem, and ‘suffer many things of the Jews,
elders, and chief priests, and be killed, and raised again the
third day,’ Matt. xvi. 21. And Christ said, ‘When ye shall
see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know the desolation
thereof is nigh.’ He foretold, that the Jews should fall
by the edge of the sword, and should be led away ‘captive
into all nations; and Jerusalem should be trodden down of
the Gentiles,’ Luke xxi. 20, 24.
“Here you may see, how Jerusalem was often warned
by Christ, and how often he would have ‘gathered them, but
444they would not,’ before they were scattered over or into all
nations, their houses left desolate, and their temple and Jerusalem
besieged with armies, destroyed, and thrown down.
And though the disciples and apostles of Christ did meet,
with the elders and church, at Jerusalem, after Christ was
risen, yet Eusebius reports in his Ecclesiastical History, that
the Christians at Jerusalem had a vision, or a revelation to
depart out of Jerusalem. Being forewarned also by Christ,
that when they should see Jerusalem compassed with armies,
its desolation was nigh; and that the temple should be thrown
down, and not one stone left upon another; it is said, that
the Christians did depart out of bloody Jerusalem, before it
and the temple were destroyed by Titus, the emperor, who
besieged it with his armies. He was of the Gentiles, and destroyed
the temple and Jerusalem, as Christ had fore-spoken
to his disciples, because of the wickedness of the Jews, and
the innocent blood that they had shed in it. So the Lord
called his people out of bloody Jerusalem, before he destroyed
it.
“And it is said, that Titus destroyed the temple and
Jerusalem about forty-two years after Christ was crucified,
and risen again; and that with so great a destruction, that
the Jews never built the city again, nor the temple (as Sodom
was never built again, nor the cities of the old world.) But
the Jews for above these thousand years have been, and are
a scattered people in all nations to this day; and Christ (whom
they crucified) and his doctrine, is preached, and set over
them; and the Gentiles, whom they hated, have received,
and do receive him and his doctrine, and praise God for it
through Jesus Christ. Amen.
“God called his people out of Egypt, after he had poured
out his ten plagues upon the Egyptians; when he had destroyed
the first-born of Egypt, then the Lord brought his
people out of Egypt. And after the Lord had clearly brought
his people out, he destroyed Pharaoh, and all his hosts and
chariots.
“John says, he heard a voice, saying, ‘Come out of her,
my people, (to wit, out of Babylon, the false church), that ye
be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her
plagues; for her sins have reached to heaven, and God hath
remembered her iniquities,’ Rev. xviii. 4, 5, Here ye may
see that God called his people out of spiritual Babylon, before
he destroyed her, and cast her down, to be utterly burnt with
fire, ver. 8, 9, 21.
“Was not Nebuchadnezzar’s empire thrown down and
ended by Cyrus and Darius, who were of the seed of the
Medes, before Cyrus and Darius gave forth their proclamation
445for all the Jews to go into their own land, out of Babylon’s
captivity? And was there not a prophecy of Cyrus,
‘that he should subdue nations, and that the Lord would
loose the loins of kings before him, and break in pieces the
gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron, and open
the two-leaved gates; and that the gates should not be shut?’
And the Lord said, ‘This is for Jacob, my servant’s sake, and
for Israel mine elect,’ Isa. xlv. Was not this fulfilled in
Cyrus’s and Darius’s time? For did not then the Jews go
out of captivity into their own land,land, Ezra i. 2-4; vi. 1, 12;
Isa. xliv. 28; xlv. 13. Was not this prophecy of Isaiah fulfilled
when the children of Israel came out of Babylon? Were not
the Assyrians, that carried away the ten tribes, subdued? and
the Babylonians, that carried away the two tribes, were they
not subdued in the days of Cyrus and Darius, in whose days
the ‘loins of kings were loosed, and the two-leaved gates of
brass and iron were opened?’ and had not Israel and Jacob
their liberty by them in their days, to go into their own land?
“And here in England, was it not observed, that most
of the honest and sober people were turned out of the army,
and their commissions, offices, and places taken from them,
because they could not join with others in their cruelty and
persecuting? And others laid down their commissions themselves,
and came out from amongst those persecutors, before
they were overthrown and brought to confusion. All that
are wise, see these things, and learn by such examples and
way-marks to shun such bogs. The righteous are safe, that
keep in Christ, their everlasting sanctuary, that changes not
in whom they have rest and peace with God. Amen.”
G.F.
Kingston, the 29th of the 12th Month, 1686-7.
CHAPTER XIII.
446
1686-1687.—The first and the second Adam compared—the two seeds distinguished—George
Fox is daily exercised in London in services relating
to the church, visiting the sick or afflicted, and writing in defence
of Truth, or refuting error—true prayer distinguished from the
practice of the Papists—visits his son-in-law, William Mead—a
distinction between the true offering, and sacrifice, and the false,
under the old and new covenant—a general toleration and liberty
being now granted, George Fox writes a word of counsel and
caution to Friends, to walk circumspectly in a time of liberty—how
redemption by Christ is known and witnessed—repentance must
precede the reception of the gospel, baptism, &c.—a paper showing
wherein God’s people are to be like him—the right way to Christ—the
kingdom of God is to be measurably known in this life—George
Fox is benefited by being three months in the country—has much
service in London again—at Kingston writes a paper, showing how
the Jews, by disobedience, lost the Holy City and the Holy Land,
designed as a warning to Christians—everlasting life through, and
in, Christ, to be received and witnessed in this life—the stone cut
out of the mountain signifies the kingdom and power of Christ—a
miscellaneous paper, being a collection of Scripture passages
respecting regeneration, sanctification, &c.
While I was at Kingston, one day, as I was meditating
on the things of God, some particular observations arose in
my mind, Concerning the first, and the second or last Adam.
As that—
“The first man Adam was made on the sixth day of the
week; and Christ, the second Adam, was crucified on the
sixth day of the week.
“The first Adam was betrayed by the serpent in the garden
of Eden; Christ our Saviour, the second Adam, was betrayed
by Judas in a garden near Jerusalem.
“Christ arose from the dead on the First-day of the week;
and they that believe on him are entered into Christ, their
Rest; the Christians meet together to worship God on the
First-day of the week; and on the First-day of the week it
was that God said, ‘Let there be light, and there was light.’
The Jews’ rest was on the seventh-day of the week, which was
given to them as a sign of the eternal rest of the Lord, sanctifying
them, after they came out of the land of Egypt; for
before that time the Lord had not given to man and woman
447his outward Sabbath-day to keep, neither in the old world,
nor after in Abraham’s time, nor in Isaac’s, nor in Jacob’s
time; until the Jews came out of Egypt to Mount Sinai in
the wilderness. Then the Lord gave the law and his Sabbath,
as a sign in the old covenant, of Christ the Eternal Rest, in
the new covenant; and they that believe do enter into Christ,
their Rest.
“Adam, the first man, is the root from whence we all
spring naturally; and Christ is called the last, or second
Adam, because he is the beginning and root of all that are
spiritual.
“The first Adam was made a living soul; and Christ,
the last Adam, is a quickening spirit.
“Christ by the grace of God tasted death for every man,
that they might all come into favour with God; and that
every tongue should confess, that ‘Jesus Christ is Lord, to
the glory of God the Father.’”
I wrote also a paper there, Concerning the two seeds,
distinguishing the seed wherein the blessing is received, from
the seed which the curse remains upon. Of which the following
is a copy:—
“The Lord said to Abraham, ‘In thy seed shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed,’ Gen. xxii. 18. ‘And thy seed
shall be as the stars of heaven, and as the sand, which is upon
the sea-shore, and as the dust of the earth, that cannot be
numbered,’ chap. xiii. 16; xv. 5; xxii. 17. In this seed all
nations and families of the earth are blessed; but not in the
seed of evil-doers and of falsehood, nor in the seed of the
adulterer and the whore, Isa. i. 4, and lvii. 3, 4; ‘for the seed
of the wicked shall be cut off,’ saith the Lord, Psal. xxxvii.
28. The Lord said to David, ‘That his seed should endure
for ever,’ Psal. lxxxix. 36. And again it is said, Psal. cii. 28,
‘The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed
shall be established before thee.’ Here is a distinction between
the two seeds; for the seed of evil-doers, of the adulterer,
and of the wicked, shall be cut off; and so it is not
blessed. But Christ bruises the head of the serpent, and his
seed which he soweth in them, that disobey and transgress
God’s command, and rebel against God’s good Spirit. This
wicked seed of the serpent is cursed, and is an enemy to the
Seed in whom all are blessed; but Christ bruises the head of
this cursed seed of enmity, and destroys the devil and his
works; and in his seed all are blessed, and all are in unity
in this seed. All the children of the seed are the children of
the kingdom of God, and of Christ, and are blessed with
448faithful Abraham. Whoever are of the saving, divine, precious
faith, are of Abraham, walk in the steps of the seed and
faith of Abraham, and are blessed with him, yea, of all
nations, and all the families of the earth.
“And the Lord said to Abraham, ‘Thy seed shall be a
stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them;
and they shall afflict them four hundred years; and that
nation whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterwards
shall they (to wit, God’s seed) come out with great substance,’
Gen. xv. 13, 14. Here ye may see, that which afflicts God’s
seed, he will judge, and did judge; for he destroyed the firstborn
of Pharaoh, and overthrew him and his host.
“A holy man said, ‘Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left
us a seed or remnant, we had been as Sodom,’ &c., that is,
destroyed. But in the Seed, which destroys the devil and
his works, and bruises the head of the serpent and his seed,
are all nations and families of the earth blessed.
“Christ, according to the flesh, was of Abraham and of
David, for he took not on him the nature of angels, but the
seed of Abraham, in which seed all nations and families of
the earth are blessed. So they that are of his seed, are of the
generation of Christ; are ‘flesh of his flesh, and bone of his
bone.’ Now, all nations and families of the earth must be in
this holy Seed, if they have the blessings and are blessed.
And ‘out of the mouth of this Seed’s seed shall not God’s
word depart;’ but shall remain and abide in the mouth of
this Seed’s seed, in which they are blessed, Isa. lix. 21. So
it is not the first-birth’s talking of the words of Christ, the
Seed, in whose mouth the word of God doth not abide; that
makes an outward profession, like the Jews who killed and
persecuted the prophets, and crucified Christ, the Seed, and
substance of the law and prophets, which the Jews professed
in words, but they denied Christ, the Seed and Life. And
all Christians (so called) that profess the Scriptures in words,
and are not in the Seed, Christ, are in the confusion, and are
like the Jews; and so, neither Jews nor Christians are
blessed, except they be in Christ, the Seed of Life.
“But though Christ is said to be of the Seed of David,
and of Abraham, as his generation is declared by Matthew
and Luke; yet Christ was not born of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God. For he was conceived by
the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin, and supposed to be
son of Joseph, but was the Son of God. His name was called
Jesus, because he should ‘save his people from their sins;’
and Emmanuel, God with us. Christ took not upon him the
nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham (as I said before)
and so ‘was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
449and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to
the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead,’
Rom. i. 4. So the generation of Christ is a mystery. Christ
saw his Seed or Word grow up in his disciples; and ‘Christ
in you, the hope of glory,’ the apostle calls ‘The mystery,
which hath been hid from ages and generations; but now is
made manifest to the saints,’ or sanctified ones, Col. i. 26, 27.
‘Whom we preach; warning every man, and teaching every
man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect
in Christ Jesus,’ ver. 28. For in Christ, the second Adam, all
are made perfect and complete; and in Adam in the fall, all
are deformed and made imperfect; so out of Christ all mankind
are imperfect and deformed: let them paint, and dress
themselves with the sheep’s clothing, with the form of godliness,
of the prophets’, and Christ’s, and his apostles’ words
ever so much; yet if Christ be not in them, they are incomplete,
imperfect, deformed, reprobates. But the apostle tells
the church of Christ, ‘Ye are complete in Christ, which is the
head of all principality and power,’ Col. ii. 10 (for he hath
all power in heaven and in earth given to him, Matt, xxviii.
18). So all the saints are made perfect and complete in Christ
Jesus; blessed be the Lord God over all for ever, through
Jesus Christ. Amen, Amen.”
G. F.
Kingston, the 15th of the 1st Month, 1686-7.
Quickly after this I returned to London, and continued
there a month in the service of the Lord; being daily exercised
either in public meetings, or more particular services
relating to the church of Christ; as visiting such as were
sick or afflicted, and writing books or papers for the spreading
of truth, or refuting of error. As it was a time of general
liberty, the Papists appeared more open in their worship than
formerly; and many unsettled people going to view them at
it, a great talk there was of their praying to saints, and by
beads, &c., whereupon I wrote a short paper concerning prayer;
as follows:—
“Christ Jesus, when he taught his disciples to pray,
said unto them, ‘When ye pray, say, Our Father, which art
in heaven, hallowed be thy name,’ &c. Christ doth not say,
that they should pray to Mary, the mother of Christ; nor
doth he say, that they should pray to angels, or to saints, that
were dead. Christ did not teach them to pray to the dead,
nor for the dead: neither did Christ or his apostles teach the
450believers to pray by beads, nor to sing by outward organs;
but the apostle said he would sing and pray in the Spirit;
‘for the Spirit itself maketh intercession; and the Lord, that
searcheth the heart, knoweth the mind of the Spirit.’
“To take counsel of the dead, was forbidden by the law
of God; they were to take counsel of the Lord. And he hath
given Christ in the new covenant, in his gospel-day, to be a
counsellor and a leader to all believers in his light. Men
are not to run to the dead for the living; for the law and
testimony of God forbids it. Those Jews that refused the
running waters of Shiloh, the floods and waters of the Assyrians
and Babylonians came over them, and carried them
into captivity; and they that refuse the waters of Christ, are
overflowed with the flood of the world, that lieth in wickedness.
They that asked counsel of stocks and stones, were in
the spirit of error and whoredom; they were gone a whoring
from God. Hos. iv. 12. And they that joined themselves to
Baal-Peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead, provoked the
Lord’s anger, and brought the Lord’s displeasure upon them,
Psal. cvi. 28, 29. So here ye may see, the sacrifices of the
dead were forbidden. The living know that they shall die,
but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more
a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten, Eccl: ix. 5.
‘Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take
counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but
not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin,’” Isa. xxx. 1.
G. F.
When I had stayed about a month in London, I got out
of town again; for by reason of the many hardships I had
undergone in imprisonments, and other sufferings for truth’s
sake, my body was grown so infirm and weak, that I could not
bear the closeness of the city long together; but was obliged
to go a little into the country, for the benefit of the fresh air.
At this time I went with my son-in-law William Mead, to
his country-house called Gooses in Essex, where I stayed
about two weeks; and among other services I had there, I
wrote the following paper:—
“A Distinction between the True Offering and Sacrifice, and the False, in the Old and New Covenant.
“The Lord saith, ‘He that sacrificeth to any god, save
unto the Lord only, he shall be utterly destroyed.’ Exod. xxii.
20. So no god is to be minded, nor sacrificed to, but the
451Lord God: it is death to sacrifice to any other god, save the
Lord. The Lord saith also, ‘Thou shalt not offer the blood
of my sacrifice with leavened bread.’ Exod. xxiii. 18. So that
sour, heavy leaven, must not be offered with the Lord’s
sacrifice. Again the Lord saith, ‘Thou shalt not build an altar
of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast
polluted it,’ Exod. xx. 25. Therefore have a care of polluting
the altar with your own tools, you that profess to offer
the spiritual sacrifice.
“Jonah said, ‘he would sacrifice unto the Lord
with the voice of thanksgiving,’ when he was in the fish’s
belly; and there he prayed unto the Lord, Jonah ii. For
Jonah in the whale’s belly had no lambs, nor rams, nor outward
sacrifices to offer.
“The Lord forbids his people to sacrifice with harlots,
Hos. iv. 14. And the Lord forbids his people to offer sacrifice
of the blind, lame, sick, or that which was deformed, or
had any blemish; as in Mal. i. and many other places. So
they that offer spiritual sacrifice, must not offer the blind,
lamelame, blemished, or deformed sacrifice to God.
“The scribe saith unto Christ, ‘To love God with all the
heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul,
and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself,
is more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices,’
Mark xii. 33. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly,
he said unto him ‘Thou art not far from the kingdom
of God,’ v. 34. To love God, and their neighbour as themselves,
was more than whole burnt offerings and sacrifices in
the time of the law; therefore all offerings and sacrifices in
the time of the gospel, if there be not love to God, and to
their neighbour as themselves, avail nothing.
“David said, ‘Let them sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and declare his works with rejoicing,’ Psal. cvii. 22.
These are the sacrifices that the Lord requires of his people,
more than outward sacrifices. David said, ‘Let my prayer be
set forth before thee, as incense; and the lifting up of my hands
as the evening sacrifice,’ Psal. cxli. 2. Here David looks
upon his prayer to the Lord, and the lifting up of his hands
to him, to be accepted with the Lord, as much as the outward
incense, and the outward evening sacrifice. Again David
says, ‘The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and
a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise,’ Psal. li. 17.
See also Isa. lvii. 15; lxvi. 2. These are the sacrifices that
David said God would accept, and not despise; which are
beyond the unbroken spirit, and uncontrite heart, with outward
offerings and sacrifices.
“The adversaries of the Jews would have joined with
452them towards the building of the temple, saying unto them,
‘Let us build with you, for we seek your God, as ye do; and
we do sacrifice unto him.’ But the Jews refused them, and
said, ‘You have nothing to do with us, to build a house unto
our God,’ Ezra iv. 2, 3. Here ye may see that God’s people
refused their building with them, and their sacrifice. Solomon
saith, ‘The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to
the Lord,’ Prov. xv. 8. See also Isa. i. 11: lxvi. 3. Solomon
also saith, ‘Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith,
than a house full of sacrifices with strife,’ Prov. xvii. 1.
Now let all the people consider, what good your house full
of sacrifices doth with strife, when a dry morsel and quietness
therewith is better? Consider, all people, if ye live in
wickedness, your sacrifice is an abomination to the Lord.
“Again, Solomon speaking of the sacrifice of fools, saith,
‘They consider not that they do evil,’ Eccl. v. 1. Fools are
such as do not walk in the Spirit of God, or begin in the
Spirit, and end in the flesh, like the foolish Galatians; for
the Spirit of God is the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
and cannot join with the sacrifices of the dead, nor of the
fools, nor of the wicked whose sacrifice is abominable; who
grieve and quench the Spirit of God; by which the spiritual
and righteous offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God
by Jesus Christ.
“The apostle Paul said, he was the ‘minister of Jesus
Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that
the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being
sanctified by the Holy Ghost,’ Rom. xv. 16. So ye may
see, that all the acceptable offerings and sacrifices to God must
be sanctified by the Holy Ghost. The same apostle saith to
the Corinthians, ‘Ye are bought with a price; therefore
glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are
God’s,’ I Cor. vi. 20. And to the Romans he saith, ‘I beseech
you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service,’ Rom. xii. 1. This is the
duty of all true Christians.
“Peter also saith, in his general epistle to the Church of
Christ, ‘Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual
house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable
to God by Jesus Christ,’ I Pet. ii. 5. So every man
and woman must come to the Spirit of God in their own
hearts, if they offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God
by Jesus Christ. For as Christ saith, ‘Every sacrifice shall
be salted with salt,’ Mark ix. 49. And in the Old Testament
ye may see, all their outward offerings they were to season
with salt, Lev. ii. 13, a type and figure of Christ, who gave
453himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet-smelling
savour, Eph. v. 2. Therefore all his people must
be baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire, that they may
be salted with fire, and every sacrifice salted with salt, with
the Spirit of grace that is poured upon all; so that they may
offer up this spiritual sacrifice, acceptable to God by Jesus
Christ.
“Samuel said to king Saul, ‘Hath the Lord as great delight
in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice
of the Lord? behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to
hearken than the fat of rams,’ I Sam. xv. 22. So ye may
see, all offerings and sacrifices are nothing, if there be not a
hearkening to the Lord in his Spirit, and an obeying of his voice.
Christ told the Jews, that were outward sacrificers, that he
would have mercy, and not sacrifice; and bid them ‘Go and
learn what that meaneth,’” Matt. ix. 13.
G.F.
Gooses, the 28th of the 2nd Month, 1687.
The beginning of the 3rd month I returned to London,
and continued there till after the Yearly Meeting, which
began on the 16th of the same, and was very large, Friends
having more freedom to come up out of the counties to it, by
reason of the general toleration and liberty now granted.
The meeting lasted several days; and at the close thereof it
was upon me to write the following lines, to be dispersed
amongst Friends everywhere, as—“A word of counsel and
caution to them to walk circumspectly in this time of liberty:”—
“Dear Friends and Brethren, in the Lord
Jesus Christ,
“The Lord, by his eternal arm and power, having supported
you in all your sufferings, and great spoiling of goods,
and tedious imprisonments, only for serving and worshipping
the living God that made you; who gave up wife and
children, and goods, and suffered the spoil of them, and imprisonment
for his truth and name’s sake;—the Lord, by his infinite
power and mercy, having been pleased to open the king’s
heart towards you, by which you are set at liberty from jails,
and the spoilers of your goods are stopped, whereby ye may
follow your callings, confess Christ Jesus, and call him Lord
by the Holy Ghost, in your assemblies and meetings, without
being cast into jails, or having your goods spoiled; a
great concern lies upon me from the Lord to write unto you,
dear brethren, that none may abuse this liberty, nor the mercies
454of the Lord, but prize them; for there is great danger in
time of liberty, of getting up into ease, looseness, and false
liberty. And now, seeing that ye have not the outward persecutors
to war with in sufferings, with the spiritual weapons
keep down that which would not be subject to Christ; that
He, the Holy One, may reign in your hearts; that your lives,
conversations, and words, may preach righteousness and truth;
that ye may all show forth good ensamples of true believers
in Christ, in virtue and holiness, answering that which may
be known of God in all people, that ye are the sons and
daughters of God; standing fast in that righteous, holy
liberty in Christ, the just and holy One, that has made you free,
over the loose or false; shunning vain disputes, and foolish
questions of men of corrupt minds; for the serpent was the
first questioner of Eve, who drew her and Adam out of the
truth.
“Therefore as ye have received Christ, live and walk in
Him, who bruises the serpent’s head, who is your safe sanctuary,
in whom ye have election, reconciliation, and peace
with God. Therefore live in the peace which ye have from
Christ, which is not of this world; be at peace one with another,
and seek the peace of all men in Christ Jesus; for
blessed are the peacemakers. Labour to exercise a good conscience
towards God, in obedience to him in what he requires;
and in doing to all men the thing that is just and honest; in
your conversations and words, giving no offence to Jew or
Gentile, nor to the church of God. So ye may be as a city
set on God’s Sion-hill, which cannot be hid; and may be
lights to the dark world, that they may see your good fruits
and glorify your Father, which is in heaven; for he is glorified
in your bringing forth good fruits, as ye abide in Christ,
the vine, in this his day of life, power, and light, that shines
over all. Therefore all you that believe in the light, walk in
the light, as children of the light, and of Christ’s everlasting
day; that in the light ye may have fellowship with the Father
and the Son, and one with another; keeping in the unity of
his Holy Spirit, in the bond of his holy peace, in his church
that he is head of. My desire is, that God’s wisdom everywhere
may be justified of her children, and that it may be
showed forth in meekness and in the fear of the Lord in this
his day. Amen.”
G. F.
By that time the Yearly Meeting was over, I was very
much wearied and spent; wherefore, about a week after the
meeting, I got out of town to a Friend’s house a little beyond
Edmonton, where, and at South Street, I abode some
455time, and had meetings amongst Friends there; and at Winchmore-Hill
and Bury Street. And having my mind continually
exercised in the things of God, the sense of his infinite
goodness and mercy to mankind in visiting them after
they had transgressed and rebelled against him, and providing
a way and means for their return to him again, was very
much upon me, and in the opening of the Spirit of truth I
wrote the following paper on that subject:—
“God, who made all mankind, though they have transgressed
his commands and laws, rebelled against him, hated
his light, grieved his Spirit, and walked despitefully against
his Spirit of grace; God, who is merciful, would yet have
all to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth.
All that come to the knowledge of the truth must know it in
their inward parts; I say, all that know and find the grace
and truth which comes by Jesus, do know and find it in their
hearts. And such find the hidden man of the heart, the
pearl, the leaven, the lost piece of silver, and the kingdom of
heaven within. For until they come to the light and truth
in their hearts, all are strangers to these things,—are in Adam,
in the fall from the image of God, and from his light, power,
Spirit, and kingdom. But Christ that never fell, brings man
and woman that follow him again to know these things, to
know the truth, and Him the Saviour, and brings them into
his image, and his everlasting kingdom.
“The devil, who is out of the truth, tempted man and
woman to disobey God; and so drew them into the fall from
the truth. It is the devil that hath stopped men’s eyes, ears,
and hearts from the truth, who is called the god of the world,
who hath blinded the eyes of infidels, or heathen. But Christ,
who bruises the serpent’s head, and destroys the devil and
his works, doth open men’s hearts, eyes, and ears. He is their
Saviour and Redeemer, and giveth life eternal to his people
that obey him and his truth. Blessed be the Lord for ever
through Jesus Christ, who hath tasted death for all men, to
bring them out of the death of Adam; who is a propitiation
for the sins of the whole world, and gave himself a ransom
for all, to be testified of in due time. For as by Adam’s
transgression and disobedience death and condemnation came
upon all, so by Christ’s obedience unto death, justification of
life is come upon all; and he that believeth in Christ hath
eternal life; but he that doth not is condemned already.
But God would have all men to be saved, and come unto the
knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, who is their Saviour;
and in him there is no condemnation.”
G. F.
456After I had been a while here, I went to a monthly
meeting at Enfield, and thence with some Friends to Hertford;
where I stayed three or four days, visiting Friends
both at their public meetings on First-day, and at their quarterly
meetings of men and women; and good service for the
Lord I had amongst them. Then passing to Waltham
Abbey, I had a very good meeting with Friends there; and
next day went thence to another place, to compose a difference,
which, for want of a right understanding of each other, had
happened between some Friends. I returned to Waltham
that night; and next day went with some Friends to William
Mead’s house, in Essex.
Here I stayed some weeks, yet was not idle, but often
visited the meetings thereabouts; as at Wanstead, Barking,
and at John Harding’s. Between meeting and meeting
I wrote many things for the spreading of truth, and for the
opening of people’s understandings to receive it. One was a
paper proving, from the Scriptures, that people must repent
before they can receive the gospel, and the Holy Spirit, and
the kingdom of God, or be baptized; after this manner:—
“John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of
Judea, saying, ‘Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand,’ Matt. iii. 2. And when John the Baptist was cast into
prison, Mark says, 'That Jesus came into Galilee, preaching
the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, TheThe time
is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: Repent ye,
and believe the gospel,’ Mark i. 14, 15. Matthew also says,
‘From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent,
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,’ Matt. iv. 17. And
when Christ sent forth his twelve disciples, two and two,
they went out and preached that men should repent, Mark vi.
12. Christ said to the Jews, ‘Except ye repent, ye shall all
likewise perish,’ Luke xiii. 3, 5. When the publicans and
sinners came to hear Christ, and the Pharisees and Scribes
murmured saying, ‘This man receiveth sinners and eateth
with them,’ Luke xv. 1, 2, Christ reproved them by a parable,
and then told them, ‘Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner
that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons
which need no repentance,’ ver. 7, adding, ‘There is joy in
the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth,’
457ver. 10. Christ, after he was risen, said unto his
disciples, ‘That repentance and remission of sins should
be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at
Jerusalem,’ Luke xxiv. 47. Peter said unto the Jews, ‘Repent
and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus
Christ, for the remission of sins; and ye shall receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost,’ Acts ii. 38. And Paul said, ‘The
times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth
all men everywhere to repent,’ Acts xvii. 30. Simon Magus
was called to repentance, if he had regarded it, Acts viii. 22.
And the apostle Paul preached at Damascus, and at Jerusalem,
and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles
(turning them from darkness to the light of Christ, and
from the power of Satan to God,) that they should ‘repent
and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance,’ Acts xxvi.
20.
“Here ye may see that people must repent before they
believe, and are baptized, and before they receive the Holy
Ghost, and the kingdom of God. They must repent of their
vain life and conversation before they receive the gospel, be
turned from darkness to the light of Christ, and from the
power of Satan unto God, before they receive his Holy Spirit,
and his gospel of life and salvation. The Lord commands all
men everywhere to repent, and do works meet for repentance.
They must show forth that their lives and conversations are
changed, and that they serve God in newness of life, with
new tongues and new hearts.”
G. F.
Gooses, the 6th Month, 1687.
Another short paper I wrote about the same time, showing
wherein God’s people should be like unto him. It was
thus:—
“God is righteous; and he would have his people to be
righteous, and to do righteously. God is holy; and he would
have his people holy, and to do holily. God is just; and he
would have his people to be just, and to do justly to all.
God is light; and his children must walk in his light. God
is an eternal, infinite Spirit; and his children must walk in
the Spirit. God is merciful; and he would have his people
to be merciful. God’s sun shines upon the good and the bad,
and he causes the rain to fall upon the evil and the good; so
should his people do good unto all. God is love; and they
that dwell in love, dwell in God. Love worketh no ill to his
neighbour: therefore ‘love is the fulfilling of the law,’ Rom.
xiii. 10. The apostle says, ‘All the law is fulfilled in one
word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,’
458Gal. v. 14. ‘As the Father hath loved me, so I have loved
you; continue ye in my love,’ John xv. 9. This should be
the practice of all God’s people.”
G. F.
Gooses, the 6th Month, 1687.
And because most people would confess, that God’s people
should be thus, but few know how to come to this state;
therefore in the openings of the Spirit of truth I wrote another
short paper, directing to “The right way and means,
whereby people might come unto Christ, and so be made like
unto God.” Thus:—
“Christ saith, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life;
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me,’ John xiv. 6.
And again, ‘No man can come to me, except the Father,
which hath sent me, draw him,’ John vi. 44. Now, what is
the means by which God doth draw people to his Son, but by
his Holy Spirit, who ‘poureth out of his Spirit upon all flesh.’
By this Holy Spirit, the holy and righteous God doth draw
people from their unrighteousness and unholiness, to Christ,
the righteous and holy One, the great Prophet in his New
Covenant and New Testament, whom Moses in the Old Covenant
and Testament said, God would raise up, like unto him,
and whom people should ‘hear in all things: and they that
would not hear him, should be cut off.’
“They that do not hear the Son of God, the great Prophet,
do not mind the drawing of the Father by his Holy Spirit to
his Son; but to them that mind the drawings of the good
Spirit of the Father to his Son, the Spirit giveth understanding
to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life.
Then they know that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and
the life, and that none can come unto God but by and through
his Son, who is their Shepherd to feed them in his pastures
and springs of life; and his sheep know his holy voice, in
whom there was no sin, and in whose mouth there was no
guile; and a hireling they will not hear, for he careth not
for the sheep; for they are not the hireling’s, but Christ’s,
who hath laid down his life for his sheep.
“He that robs and steals his neighbour’s words, that
climbeth up another way, and entereth not by the door, is a
thief and a robber; but Christ is the door into his sheepfold,
for his sheep to enter in by. They know that Christ is the
Bishop of their souls, to see that they do not go astray from
God, nor out of his pastures of life; they know that Christ
is their Mediator, and makes their peace with God; and they
459know that Christ is their High-priest, made higher than the
heavens, and hath died for their sins, doth cleanse them with
his blood, is risen for their justification; and is able to the
utmost to save all that come to God by him.”
G.F.
Gooses, the 6th Month, 1687.
Before I left this place, I wrote another paper, to show,
by many instances from the Holy Scriptures, that the kingdom
of God, which most people talk of at a distance, and
refer altogether to another life, is in some measure to be
known and entered into in this life; but that none can know
an entrance thereinto, but such as are regenerated and born
again. Of which paper the following is a copy:—
“Christ saith, ‘Except a man be born again, he cannot
see the kingdom of God,’ John iii. 3. ‘That which is born of
the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is
spirit,’ ver. 6. So, ‘except a man be born of water and of
the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God,’ ver. 5.
And John, writing to the seven churches in Asia, calls himself
their brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the
kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, Rev. i. 9. Here you
may see, that John was in the kingdom; so he was born again:
for he not only saw the kingdom, but was in it.
“And John saith, ‘Behold, what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the
sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it
knew him not,’ 1 John iii. 1. ‘Beloved, now are we the sons
of God,’ ver. 2. ‘If ye know that he is righteous, ye know
that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him,’ chap.
ii. 29. ‘Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin; for
his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born
of God,’ chap. iii. 9. Again John saith, ‘Let us love one another;
for love is of God; and every one that loveth, is born
of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not
God; for God is love,’ chap. iv. 7, 8. ‘Whosoever believeth
that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God,’ chap. v. 1. And,
‘Whosoever is born of God, overcometh the world; and this
is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith,’ ver.
4. Were not these, that were born of God, in the kingdom
of God? And seeing John says, every one that doeth righteousness,
is born of God, do not such see the kingdom of God
that stands in righteousness, and enter into it?
“Peter, in his first general epistle to the church of
Christ, saith, ‘As new-born babes desire the sincere milk
460of the Word, that ye may grow thereby,’ 1 Pet. ii. 2. And
he tells them they were a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a peculiar people; that they should show
forth the praises of Him who had called them out of darkness
into his marvellous light, ver. 9. And that, as lively
stones, they were built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood,
to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus
Christ, ver. 5. Did not these new-born babes, these lively
stones, spiritual household, royal priesthood, holy nation, and
chosen generation, who were called out of darkness into
Christ’s marvellous light, see, and enter into his holy kingdom,
being heirs of the same? who were born again, not of
corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God,
which liveth and abideth for ever, 1 Pet. i. 23. And had these
not an entrance ministered to them into the everlasting kingdom
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ?
“James, in his general epistle to the church of Christ,
says, ‘Hath not God chosen the poor of this world, to be rich
in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which he hath promised
to them that love him?’ James ii. 5. The apostle Paul says,
‘God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, &c., to redeem
them that were under the law; that we might receive the
adoption of sons; and because ye are sons, God hath sent
forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba,
Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son;
and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ,’ Gal. iv. 4-7.
The same apostle says, ‘As many as are led by the Spirit of
God, they are the sons of God;’ and tells the saints at Rome,
‘Ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry,
Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our
spirit, that we are the children of God; and if children, then
heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be we
suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together
(namely, with Christ),’ Rom. viii. 14-17. Now seeing they
are the sons of God that are led by the Spirit of God, and the
Spirit beareth witness unto their spirit, that they are the
children of God, and heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ,
are not all these children of God heirs of the righteous,
glorious, kingdom of God? and do they not see it, and enter
into it?
“The Lord saith in Hosea i. 10, ‘Where it was said unto
them, Ye are not my people; there it shall be said unto them,
Ye are the sons of the living God.’ Did not this relate to the
gospel-days of the new covenant? see Rom. ix. 26. And
what the Lord said by the prophet Jeremiah, chap. xxxi. 1,
the apostle applies to the gospel-days, and says, ‘Be ye
separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I
461will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall
be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty,’ 2 Cor.
vi. 18. Are not these the children that see, and enter into the
righteous kingdom of God, that separate from that which is
unclean, and touch it not?
“The Lord saith also by Isaiah, ‘I will say to the north,
Give up; and to the south, Keep not back; bring my sons
from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth?’ Isa.
xliii. 6. Then does not he bring them to his kingdom of
glory, that stands in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the
Holy Ghost?
“The Lord said to Job, ‘When the morning stars sang
together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy,’ Job xxxviii.
7, where did these sons of God shout for joy? Was it not in
his kingdom of glory?
“Christ saith, ‘The least in the kingdom of God is
greater than John,’ Luke vii. 28. And in chap. xvi. 16, he
says, ‘The law and the prophets were until John: since that
time (viz., since the law, and the prophets, and John) the
kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.’
“‘The good seed are the children of the kingdom,’ Matt.
xiii. 38. And ‘the righteous shall shine forth as the sun, in
the kingdom of their Father,’ ver. 43. Christ said unto his
disciples, ‘Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the
kingdom of God,’ Mark iv. 11. And Christ lifted up his eyes
upon his disciples, and said, ‘Blessed be ye poor: for yours
is the kingdom of God,’ Luke vi. 20. And the apostles preached
the kingdom of God. These were born again: that saw
and knew the kingdom of God, and preached it.
“Christ said to his disciples, ‘Fear not, little flock, for
it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom,’
Luke xii. 32. And, ‘I appoint unto you a kingdom,’ said
Christ, ‘as my Father hath appointed unto me,’ chap. xxii. 29.
The Lord said, ‘He that overcometh, shall inherit all things:
and I will be his God, and he shall be my son,’ Rev. xxi. 7.
And John saith, ‘I have written unto you, young men, because
ye are strong, and the Word of God abideth in you, and
ye have overcome the wicked one,’ 1 John ii. 14. And Christ,
by whom are all things, is said ‘to bring many sons to glory,’
Heb. ii. 10.
“Christ said, ‘Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites; for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men;
for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer them that are
entering, to go in,’ Matt. xxiii. 13. He also said, ‘Woe unto
you, lawyers; for you have taken away the key of knowledge;
ye enter not in yourselves; and them that were entering in
ye hindered,’ Luke xi. 52. Christ gives unto his children
462the key of the kingdom, his Spirit; but the scribes, and the
Pharisees, and the lawyers, great professors, who were erred
from the Spirit, like the great professors in our age that scoff
at the Spirit, and draw people from the Spirit of God within,
these shut up the kingdom from men, and draw people from
the key of knowledge, and the key of the kingdom. ‘For
no man knows the things of God, but by the Spirit of God;
for the things of God are spiritually discerned.’ So the Spirit
is the key, by which the kingdom of God, and the things of
God, are revealed and discerned, and known, according to
1 Cor. ii. 10, 11, 13, 14. The apostle names some in his
epistle to the Colossians, and says, ‘These are my fellow-workers
unto the kingdom of God,’ Col. iv. 11. And he tells
that church, that ‘God hath delivered us from the power of
darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his
dear Son,’ chap. i. 13. So ye may see these 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, Matt. v. 45. He bids them be perfect, even as their
Father which is in heaven, is perfect; ver. 48. 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.
ii. 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. ii. 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 prophesy, old men should dream dreams, and
young men see visions,’ Joel ii. 28. Now the cause that sons
and daughters, handmaids, 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 i. 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, who had the promises, prophecies,
463figures, and shadows of him, would not receive him when he
came. And now the priests and high professors of Christ,
are so far from receiving the light of Christ, and believing in
it, that they hate the light, and scoff at it, calling it a natural
conscience; and some, Jack-in-the-lantern. 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.’ They that do not receive Christ Jesus,
but hate his light (which is the life in him) and yet profess
him in words, 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 doeth evil, hateth the light, neither cometh to
the light, lest his deeds should be reproved,’ John iii. 19, 20.
But the children of the light, that walk in the light, come to
heavenly Jerusalem, and to the city of the living God, 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!”
G.F.
Gooses, the 2nd of the 7th Month, 1687.
Having been more than a quarter of a year in the country,
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 public 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, I went down to my
son Rous’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, showing “how by their disobedience and
rebellion, they lost the holy city and land.” By which example
464the professed Christians may see what they are to expect,
if they continue to disobey and provoke the Lord. The
copy here follows:—
“The Lord gave the Jews in the Old Testament the land
of Canaan, and they built the temple at Jerusalem to worship
in. 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 to instruct them, rebelled against his law, set up idols
and images, and defiled the land and the city, the Lord sent
his prophets to cry against them, 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. Titus the Roman emperor 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 the
city and country; and they were driven out of their own
city and land, and scattered over all nations. The Jews have
never had power to obtain the land since, nor to build Jerusalem,
nor the temple; but the Turk hath both the land of
Canaan, and that which is called ‘the city of 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. 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, that 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 is holy, harmless, separate
from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. This is
the Priest that gives power to all that receive him, to become
the sons and daughters of God: and Jerusalem that is above,
465is the mother of all the sons and daughters of God, and is free;
but Jerusalem that is below, is in bondage with her children.
They that are the children of Jerusalem that is above, do not
look down at Jerusalem that is below; but they look at Jerusalem
that is above, which is their mother. Christ said,
‘Neither at outward Jerusalem, nor in the mountain of Samaria,
should God be worshipped; but God should be worshipped
in Spirit and in truth; for he is a Spirit, and such
he seeks to worship him,’ John iv. This is the worship that
Christ set up above sixteen hundred years ago; and therefore
the idolatrous Jews must never think to offer their outward
offerings and sacrifices, nor set up their outward worship
at Jerusalem, in the holy land of Canaan more. For
Christ, by the offering up of himself once for all, for the
sins of the whole world, hath ended all the Jews’ offerings,
and changed the priesthood, and the law by which it was
made; and hath blotted out the handwriting of ordinances,
which commanded both priests and offerings; and triumphed,
over them. So he is the offering and sacrifice of all the
children of the New Testament, and New Covenant, and
heavenly New Jerusalem, that is above. He is their Prophet
that openeth to them; their Shepherd that feeds them; their
Bishop that oversees them; and Priest that died for their
sins, and is risen for their justification;—who sanctifies and
presents them to God. He is the one Mediator between God
and man, even the Man Christ Jesus.”
G. F.
Kingston, the 9th of the 10th Month, 1687.
After this I went to Guildford to visit Friends there,
and stayed three days with them; having a large and very
good meeting there on First-day. After which I came back
to Kingston again, and tarried about two weeks longer,
visiting Friends, and having meetings amongst them, both at
their public meeting-house and in their families. Many
things I wrote while I was at Kingston; among which was
the following:—
“‘God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him, shall not perish (mark,
not perish,) but have everlasting life,’ John iii. 16. Again,
he saith, ‘He that believeth on the Son of God, hath (mark,
hath) everlasting life,’ ver. 36. So these believers have everlasting
life while they are upon the earth. And ‘He that believeth
on Christ is not condemned; but he that believeth
not, is condemned already, and the wrath of God abideth on
466him.’ And, ‘He that heareth Christ’s word, and believeth
on God that sent him, hath (mark, hath) everlasting life, and
shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death,’
the death in the first Adam, ‘unto life,’ the life in Christ, the
second Adam, John v. 24. And that meat which Christ doth
give, endureth unto everlasting life, as in John vi. 27. And
the water that Christ doth give, shall be in him that drinks it,
‘a well of water springing up into everlasting life,’ John iv.
14.
“Christ said to the Jews, ‘Search the Scriptures, for in
them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which
testify of me; and ye will not come to me, that ye might
have life,’ John v. 39, 40. Here ye may see eternal life is to
be found in Christ, and not in the Scriptures, which testify
of Him, the Life. Christ’s sheep that hear his voice, know
and follow him; he gives them eternal life, and they shall
not perish, neither shall any pluck them out of his hand.
They shall not pluck Christ’s sheep, to whom he hath given
eternal life, out of his hand. Christ said to Martha, ‘I am
the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though
he were dead (mark, though he were dead) yet shall he live;
(mark, live, though he were dead;) and whosoever liveth,
and believeth in me, shall never die. Believest thou this?
Martha said, Yea, Lord,’ John xi. 27. This is the true and
substantial belief, which they that believe, shall not perish,
but have everlasting life. John saith, ‘This is the record,
that God hath given to us eternal life; and this life is in his
Son,’ 1 John v. 11. ‘The life was manifested, and we have
seen it and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life,
which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us,’
1 John i. 2. So these were the believers that had eternal
life in the Son of God, and showed it unto others. ‘He that
hath the Son hath life,’ says John, ‘and he that hath not the
Son of God, hath not life,’ 1 John v. 12. Christ says, ‘Every
one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father,
or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake,
shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit everlasting
life,’ Matt. xix. 29.
“The wicked that do not receive Christ, shall go into
everlasting punishment; but the righteous into eternal life.
The true servants of God have their fruits unto holiness, and
their end is everlasting life; for ‘the wages of sin is death:
but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our
Lord.’ Such have a building of God, a house not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens. Therefore I desire that God’s
people may endure all things, that they may obtain this salvation,
which is in Jesus Christ, with eternal glory. For
467Christ being made perfect, became the Author of eternal salvation
to all them that obey him. This eternal salvation is above
an external salvation; for they come to receive an eternal inheritance,
and live in the possession of the everlasting gospel
of joy, comfort, peace, and salvation, having everlasting life
in Christ Jesus.”
G.F.
Kingston, the 6th of the 11th Month, 1687.
Another paper I wrote there, concerning the Stone
spoken of by Daniel, chap. ii., which became a great mountain,
and filled the whole earth; showing “that thereby was
set forth the kingdom and power of Christ:”—
“When Christ, the Stone, that became a great mountain,
and filled the whole earth, had broken to pieces the head of
gold, and the breast of silver, and the belly of brass, and the
legs of iron, and the feet part iron part clay (which were the
four monarchies, to wit, the Babylonian and Mede, the Persian,
the Grecian, and the Roman), and had ended the outward Jews’
typical kingdom; Daniel saith, ‘in the days of these kings
shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never
be destroyed,’ Dan. ii. 44. Christ saith, ‘All power is given
unto me in heaven and in earth,’ Matt. xxviii. 18. And, ‘My
kingdom is not of this world,’ John xviii. 36. ‘Christ is
the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of every creature.
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and
that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones,
or dominions, or principalities, or powers,; all things were
created by him, and for him; and he is before all things,
and by him all things consist,’ Col. i. 15-17.
“Here ye may see, all things consist by Jesus Christ,
and all things were created by Christ, and for him, whether
they be things in heaven, or things in earth, visible or invisible,
they were created by him and for him; yea, thrones,
dominions, principalities, and powers, these were all created
by him and for him. So Christ ‘is King of kings, and Lord
of lords,’ Rev. xix. 16. And the ‘Prince of the kings of the
earth,’ chap. i. 5. Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword,
with which he shall smite the nations, and he shall rule them
with a rod of iron; as the vessel of a potter, shall they be
dashed in pieces, who do not obey him, the King of kings
and Lord of lords. This is Christ, who said, ‘I am Alpha
and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, the First and the
Last;’ so he is over all nations, and above them all. We
must understand this rod of iron, by which Christ rules the
nations, is a figurative speech of Christ, who is ascended into
468heaven, and is at the right hand of God. All power in heaven
and in earth is given unto him, and all things were created by
him and for him; so then they are Christ’s, and he hath
power over all things, for all are his. So, as the Scripture
saith, ‘By me kings reign, and princes decree justice,’
Prov.Prov. viii. 15. But if they abuse his power, and do
not do justice, as is decreed by Christ, the King of kings
and Lord of lords, the First and the Last, they must feel and
know the weight of his rod of iron, by which he will rule
such as abuse his power. That is decreed by Him, who hath
all power in heaven and in earth given to him, and rules in the
kingdoms of men.”
G.F.
Kingston, the 11th Month, 1687.
Several other things I wrote while at Kingston; for my
spirit being continually exercised towards God, I had many
precious openings of divine matters; and divers portions of
Scripture, both in the Old Testament and in the New, relating
to a state of regeneration, and sanctification, &c., were
brought to my remembrance by the Holy Spirit; some of
which I committed to writing, as follows—
“They that touched the dead were unclean, and were
to be cleansed by the water of purification, Num. xix. And
they who touch the dead doctrines or faiths, and let them in,
burden the pure, defile, and make themselves unclean, until
the spring of the water of the Word do arise, and wash and
cleanse them; for all the dead in Adam in the fall are unclean,
and they must be washed by Christ, in his blood, and
water of life, who quickens and makes alive.”
“A dwarf might not come near to offer upon God’s altar;
but he might eat of the holy bread, that he might grow, Lev.
xxi. 20, &c. So the new-born babes may eat of the milk of
the Word, that they may grow thereby and increase. He
that had any blemish might not come near to offer upon God’s
altar; neither might anything be offered upon God’s altar
that had any blemish, or was unclean, Lev. xxi. And it is
said, ‘The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor
sinners in the congregation of the righteous,’ Psal. i. 5. But
‘God standeth in the congregation of the mighty,’” Psal.
lxxxii. 1.
“The camp of God was to be kept clean and holy. That
which was unclean, or defiled, was to be kept out of God’s
camp in the old Testament. And in the New Testament all
that is defiled and unclean must be kept out of God’s kingdom,
469the new and heavenly Jerusalem, that is from above.
All was to pass through the fire (even of those things that
would bear the fire), and to be purified by fire and water,
before the people might come into God’s camp, Num. xxxi.
So all must be circumcised and baptized with the Holy Ghost
and with fire, and be cleansed with the blood of Christ, and
washed with the water of the Word before they come into
the kingdom of God, and into heavenly Jerusalem.”
“The apostle Paul says, ‘We know that if our earthly
house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building
of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon
with our house, which is from heaven, that mortality might
be swallowed up of life,’ 2 Cor. v. 1, 2, 4. Here is (WE in
the earthly house of this tabernacle) which (WE) are they
that have received Christ, and are become the sons of God,
new creatures, and children of the light, that believe in
Christ’s light; who have an eternal house in the heavens,
where mortality is swallowed up of life, in which house
from heaven they will not groan.”
“Peter said, ‘I think it meet, as long as I am in this
tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance,
knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even
as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me,’me,’ 2 Pet. i. 13, 14.
So Peter knew he must put off this tabernacle shortly; but
as long as he was in it he stirred up the saints to their duty
in holiness, that they might remember it after he was deceased.”
“The apostle Paul says, ‘The first man is of the earth,
earthy,’ (mark, earthy), 1 Cor. xv. 47. ‘And as we have
borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image
of the heavenly’ (mark, the heavenly), ver. 40. And, ‘We‘We
have this treasure in earthen vessels,’ &c., 2 Cor. iv. 7.
‘Nevertheless I live,’ said he, ‘yet not I, but Christ liveth in
me,’ Gal. ii. 20, who is the life of all God’s people.”
“Christ said to the Jews, ‘That the dead are raised, even
Moses showed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God
of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob:
for he is not the God of the dead, but of the living; for all
live unto him,’ Luke xx. 37, 38. So, ‘None of us liveth to
himself, and no man dieth to himself; for whether we live,
we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto
the Lord. Whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the
Lord’s. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived,
that he might be Lord both of the dead and living,’
Rom. xiv. 7-9. For all died in Adam; and Christ, by the
grace of God, tasted death for every man, that they might
470come out of the death in Adam, to 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 they believe in God and in Christ,
and that they 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 believe them. But
what life do ye live? Are ye through the law dead to the
law, that ye may live unto God? Are ye crucified with
Christ? and doth Christ live in you? 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, unholy, and not divine; and in this faith they
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 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. 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
firstborn of every creature, was before any creature; for by
him were all things created that are in heaven and that are
in earth, visible or invisible, whether they be thrones or
dominions, principalities or powers, all things were created
by him and for him; he was before all things, and by him
all things consist: and he is the head of the body, the church,
who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.’ So here
ye may see that all things were made by Christ Jesus, and
created for him, and by him all things consist and have
their being, who is the firstborn from the dead, and dieth
no more. 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. ‘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 firstborn from the dead,
who liveth for evermore in his power over all; the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the world. While the world’s
471spirit rules in men’s 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, disobey his gospel, quench his Spirit,
and are erred from his faith, crucify 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 make an outward profession of Christ, yet crucify 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 crucify
him any more as to himself: but what the killers, crucifiers,
and persecutors do now upon the earth, is against Christ, as
in themselves, and in his members; as Christ said to Saul,
‘Why persecutest thou me,’ Acts ix. 4. For what is done to
his members Christ takes as done to himself, Matt. xxv. 40,
45. And they that did not visit Christ, but persecuted him
in his members, persecuted Christ in themselves first.”
“The serpent, that enemy to man and woman, the
destroyer, the god of the world and prince of the air, that
ruleth in the hearts of the disobedient, got in by disobedience.
But Christ bruises his head, breaks his power to pieces, and
destroys the devil and his works; and through death destroys
death, and the devil, the power of death. So Christ, the
light and life, hath all power in heaven and in 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. So Christ binds the strong man of sin, spoils his
goods, 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 this god of the world
hath kept his house, and his goods have been in peace, until
a stronger than he comes and binds and casts him out; and
then destroys him and his goods. So Christ, the Son of God,
who is stronger than the devil, having destroyed the devil and
his works, setteth up his own house. All the believers in the
light are the children of light, 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 spoke 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 spoke by. Therefore
all that name the name of the Lord Jesus Christ are to depart
from iniquity.”
G.F.
Kingston-upon-Thames, the 11th Month, 1687.
CHAPTER XIV.
472
1687-1690.—George Fox continues to have service in London and the
neighbourhood—writes a paper respecting the gospel and the seed;
being also an incentive to diligence—a general epistle to Friends,
forewarning them of an approaching storm—Moses and Christ both
faithful under their respective dispensations—Christ is on his
throne—George Fox’s health declining, he visits William Mead again
for a few weeks—the world’s teachers and the emptiness of their
teaching—those who turn people from the inward manifestation of
Christ in the heart, remove them from the heavenly landmark, and bring
a curse on themselves—the prophets, apostles, and holy men of old
were husbandmen and tradesmen, unlike the world’s teachers—the
vanity of being too much busied with, and spending the time
in, hearing and telling news—though still declining, George Fox
attends at the Parliament-house many days on behalf of his
Friends—writes to Peter Hendricks, and to Friends at Dantzic, to
strengthen and comfort them under their sufferings—to the
magistrates and priests at Dantzic, showing the evil of persecution,
and persuading to Christian moderation—an appendix to the Yearly
Meeting’s epistle—an epistle to the Northern Yearly Meeting to be
held at York—George Fox’s health still impaired—writes an epistle
to Friends in Barbadoes—to Friends in Pennsylvania, and other
parts of America—to all that profess the truth of God; being a
warning to the young against the world’s fashions, and to the old
against going into the earthly things—Christ is the “Ensign,”
prophesied of by Isaiah—an appendix to the Yearly Meeting’s epistle—an
epistle to Friends in the ministry—to Friends in the ministry
gone to America—to suffering Friends in Ireland—death of George
Fox in 1690—epistle written with his hand and found sealed up—some
account of the interment.
I returned to London towards the latter end of the
11th month, 1687, visiting Friends in the way at Chiswick,
and at Hammersmith, where I had two meetings, one on a
First-day, the other upon the occasion of a marriage there,
at which there were many people of other denominations,
amongst whom I had a very seasonable opportunity of opening
the way of truth. 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. At which time I went
473down towards Enfield, and visited Friends there and thereabouts,
and at Barnet, Waltham Abbey, and other places,
where I had many meetings, and very good service; in which
I spent several weeks.
I then returned to London, where I continued labouring
in the work of the gospel, till after the Yearly Meeting,
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 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; as a city set on a hill, that cannot be hid.
Let your light shine, that people may see your good works,
and glorify your Father, which is in heaven. For a good
tree bringeth forth good fruit; therefore be ye trees of
righteousness, the planting of the Lord, having fruits unto
holiness; and then your end will be everlasting life. Such
are the wells and cisterns, that hold the living water, which
springs up in them to eternal life. Ye may all drink water
out of your own cisterns, 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 yourselves, to season every
one’s sacrifice, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ; and like
unto the wise virgins, that have oil in their lamps, follow the
Lamb, and enter in with the bridegroom. Now is the time
to labour, while it is day (yea, the day of Christ), 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 bestowed upon
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.’
“Consider what you have profited in spiritual and heavenly
things, with the heavenly Spirit of God. Be not like
the wicked and slothful, that hid his talent, from whom it
was taken, and he cast into utter darkness. A dwarf, or one
that had any blemish, was not to come nigh to offer upon
God’s altar; therefore mind the word of wisdom, to keep you
out of that which will corrupt and blemish you; and that ye
474may 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 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. The Spirit of God will weed all thorns, 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. Sanctify yourselves, and sanctify 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. Be ye new and heavenly Jerusalem’s children:
for new and heavenly Jerusalem, that is above, is the mother
of all the children of light, and that are born of the Spirit.
These are they that have been persecuted, and have suffered
by the false church, mystery Babylon, the 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, the beast, and the false prophet.
He takes away the curse, and the veil that is spread over all
nations, and over all the families of the earth; and brings
the blessing upon all (if they will receive it) saying, ‘In thy
seed shall all nations and all the families of the earth be
blessed.’ This is the gospel of God preached to Abraham, before
Moses wrote his five books, and was preached in the apostles’
days, and is now preached again; which brings life and immortality
to light; and is the gospel of peace, life, and salvation,
to every one that believes it. 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.
“This gospel was revealed by Christ unto his apostles,
who preached it; which is not of man, nor from man. 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. This
475everlasting gospel is preached again to them that dwell upon
the earth; and they that believe it, and receive it, receive
the blessing, the peace, 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. 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, Korahs, Balaams, nor Judases; for
they come to be such that go out of the peaceable truth.
Therefore walk in the peaceable truth, and speak the truth
in the love of it, as it is in Jesus.”
G. F.
Some time after the Yearly Meeting, I went to my son
Mead’s house, in Essex, and abode there some weeks; often
visiting Friends’ meetings near, and sometimes at Barking.
After I had been a while there, I went to visit Friends at
Waltham Abbey, Hoddesdon, Enfield, South Street,
Ford Green, and Winchmore Hill; where I had several
very serviceable meetings, the Lord opening many deep and
weighty things through me, for informing the understandings
of inquirers, building up those that were gathered into the
truth, and establishing them therein.
In the 7th month I returned to London, having been
near three months in the country for my health’s sake, which
was very much impaired; so that I was hardly able to stay
in a meeting the whole time; and often after a meeting had
to lie down on a bed. Yet did not my weakness of body
take me off from the service of the Lord, but I continued to
labour in and out of meetings, in his work, as he gave me
opportunity and ability.
I had not been long in London before a great weight
came upon me, and a sight the Lord gave me of the great
bustles and troubles, revolution and change, which soon after
came to pass. In the sense whereof, and in the movings of
the Spirit of the Lord, I wrote “A general epistle to Friends,
to forewarn them of the approaching storm, that they might
all retire to the Lord, in whom safety is;” as follows:—
“My dear Friends and brethren everywhere, who have
received the Lord Jesus Christ, and to whom he has given
476power to become his sons and daughters; in Him ye have
life and peace, and in his everlasting kingdom, that is established
and cannot be shaken, but is over all the world, and
stands in his power, and in righteousness, and joy in the
Holy Ghost, into which no unrighteousness, nor the foul,
unclean spirit of the devil in his instruments can enter.
Therefore, dear Friends and brethren, every one in the faith
of Jesus, stand in His power, who has all power in heaven
and in earth given to him, and will ‘rule the nations with
his rod of iron, and dash them to pieces, like a potter’s vessel,’
that are not subject and obedient to his power; whose voice
will shake the heavens and the earth, that that which may
be shaken may be removed, and that which cannot be shaken
may appear. Stand in Him; and all things shall work together
for good to them that love him.
“And now, dear Friends and brethren, though these
waves, and storms, and tempests be in the world, yet you
may all appear the harmless and innocent lambs of Christ,
walking in his peaceable truth, keeping in the Word of power,
wisdom, and patience; and this Word will keep you in the
day of trials and temptations, that will come upon the whole
world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. For the Word
of God was before the world, and all things were made by it;
it is a tried Word, which gave all God’s people in all ages
wisdom, power, and patience. Therefore let your dwelling
and walking be in Christ Jesus, who is called the Word of
God; and in his power, which is over all. Set your affections
on things that are above, where Christ sits at the right hand
of God (mark,) on those things which are above, where Christ
sits; not on those things that are below, which will change,
and pass away. Blessed be the Lord God, who by his eternal
arm and power hath gathered a people to himself; and hath
preserved hishis faithful to himself through many troubles,
trials, and temptations; his power and Seed, Christ, is over
all, and in Him ye have life and peace with God. Therefore
in Him all stand, and see your salvation, who is the First and
Last, the Amen. God Almighty preserve and keep you all in
Him, your ark and sanctuary; in Him you are safe over all
floods, storms, and tempests; for He was before they were,
and will be when they are all gone.”
G.F.
London, the 17th of the 8th Month, 1688.
About this time great exercise and weights came upon
me (as had usually done before the great revolutions and
changes of government,) and my strength departed from me;
so that I reeled, and was ready to fall, as I went along the
477streets. At length I could not go abroad at all, I was so weak,
for some time, till I felt the power of the Lord to spring over
all, and had received an assurance from him, that he would
preserve his faithful people to himself through all.
In the time that I kept within, I wrote a paper, showing,
how “Moses, as a servant, was faithful in all his house, in
the Old Testament; and Christ, as a Son, is over his house,
in the New Testament.”
“The house of Israel was called God’s Vineyard, in Isa.
v. 7, and all the Israelites were called the house of Israel.
Israel signifies ‘a prince with God, and a prevailer with men,’
Gen. xxxii. 28. When Peter preached Christ to the house of
Israel, he said, ‘Let all the house of Israel know assuredly,
that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified,
both Lord and Christ,’ Acts ii. 36. So they were all called
the house of Israel. And it is said, ‘Moses was faithful in
all his house (to wit, this house of Israel), as a servant, for a
testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; but
Christ, as a son, over his own house, which house are we, if
we hold fast the confidence, and the rejoicing of the hope
firm unto the end,’ Heb. iii. 5, 6. Here it is manifest, that
Moses was faithful in all his house, as a servant, viz., in the
house of Israel, in the Old Testament; but Christ Jesus, the
Son of God, is over his house in his new Testament and
Covenant; and all his true believers are of his house.
“The apostle tells the Ephesians (who were the church
of Christ,) ‘They were fellow-citizens with the saints, and
of the household of God,’ Eph. ii. 19. And the saints are
called ‘the household of faith,’ Gal. vi. 10. Peter in his
general epistle tells the church of Christ, they were ‘a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people,’
1 Pet. ii. 9. And that as lively stones, they were built up ‘a
spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ,’ ver. 5. The apostle
says to the church of Christ at Corinth, ‘If our earthly house
of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God,
a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens,’ 2 Cor.
v. 1. And Christ said to his disciples, ‘Let not your hearts
be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my
Father’s house are many mansions (a mansion is a dwelling,
or abiding place;) if it were not so, I would have told you;
I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself,
that where I am,am, there ye may be also,’ John xiv. 1-3.
The Psalmist saith, ‘Those that be planted in the house of
478the Lord, shall flourish in the courts of our God; they shall
bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing,’
Psal. xcii. 13, 14. Again, ‘Holiness becomes thine house, O
Lord, for ever,’ Psal. xciii. 5.
“Isaiah also said by way of prophecy, ‘It shall come to
pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be
exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it,’
Isa. ii. 2. Is not that a great house? Is not this mountain,
Christ, who is over his house in the New Testament and
New Covenant? To this mountain and house all the children
of the New Testament and New Covenant flow in these latter
days, so that it is come to pass, which was prophesied of by
Isaiah; for he said, ‘Many people shall go and say, Come ye,
and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of
the God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his ways, and we
will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the
law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he
shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people;
and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their
spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword
against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O
house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the
Lord,’ ver. 3-5. Here ye may see, they that come to the
mountain of the house of God, and to God’s teaching, must
walk in the light of the Lord; yea the house of Jacob. Jacob
signifies a supplanter; he supplanted profane Esau, who is
hated, and Jacob is loved.
“Now these two births must be known within; and
they that walk in the light of the Lord, and come to Christ,
the mountain of the house of the Lord, established above all
mountains and hills, break their swords into ploughshares, and
their spears into pruning-hooks; and in Christ, this mountain
and house of the Lord, there are no spears, nor swords to
hurt one another withal. Christ, the Son of God, is over his
house and great family, the children of the light, that believe
in it, and walk in it, the children of the day of Christ, his
holy and royal priesthood, that offer up spiritual sacrifice to
God by him. All such are of Christ’s (the spiritual man’s)
house, who are born of God, and led by his Spirit; they are
of the Lord of lords, and King of kings’ house and family,
which he is over; and are of the household of the holy,
divine, pure, and precious faith, which Christ is the author
and finisher of. And they that are of the Son’s house, are
pure, righteous, and holy, and can do nothing against the
truth, but for it, in their words, lives, and conversations;
and so are a chosen generation, a holy nation, a peculiar
479people, that they should show forth the praise of Him, who
hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light.
These are Christ’s lively stones, that build up a spiritual
house, which He (Christ, the spiritual man, the King of
kings, and Lord of lords) is over.”
G.F.
London, the 10th Month, 1688.
Some time after this, my body continuing weak, I went
down with my son Mead to his house in Essex, where I
stayed some weeks. In which time I wrote many things relating
to the service of truth, of which some were printed
soon after, others were spread abroad in manuscript; and
amongst other things, a few lines to this purpose:—
“That while men are contending for thrones here
below, Christ is on his throne, and all his holy angels are
about him; who is the Beginning and the Ending, the First
and the Last, over all. And that the Lord will make way
and room for himself, and for them that are born of his
Spirit, who are heavenly Jerusalem’s children, to come home
to their free mother.”
A few words also I wrote concerning the world’s
teachers, and the emptiness of their teaching. Which were
thus:—
“Doth not all that, which is called Christendom, live
in talking of Christ’s, and of the apostles’ and prophets’ words,
and the letter of the Scriptures? And do not their priests
minister the letter, with their own conceptions thereupon,
for money, though the Holy Scriptures were freely given
forth from God and Christ, and his prophets and apostles?
Yet the apostle says, ‘The letter killeth; but the Spirit giveth
life,’ 2 Cor. iii. 6. The ministers of the New Testament are
not ministers of the letter, but of the Spirit; and they sow to
the Spirit, and of the Spirit reap life eternal. But people
spending time about old authors, and talking of them, and
of the outward letter, this doth not feed their souls. For
talking of victuals and clothes, doth not clothe the body, nor
feed it. No more are their souls and spirits fed and clothed,
except they have the bread and water of life from heaven to
feed them, and the righteousness of Christ to clothe them.
Talking of outward things and spiritual things, and not having
them, may starve both their bodies and their souls.
Therefore, quench not the Spirit of God, which will lead to
be diligent in all things.”
480With this I wrote another short paper, showing the hurt
they did, and the danger they run into, who turned people
from the inward manifestation of Christ in the heart:—
“The Jews were commanded by the law of God, ‘Not
to remove the outward land-mark,’ Deut. xix. 14. They that
did so, or that caused the blind to wander, were cursed in the
Old Covenant, Deut. xxvii. 17. In the New Covenant the
apostle saith, ‘Let him be accursed, that preacheth any
other gospel than that which he had preached,’ Gal. i. 8.
Now the gospel that he preached, was ‘The power of God
unto salvation, to every one that believeth,’ Rom. i. 16. And
the gospel that was preached to Abraham was, ‘That in his
seed all nations, and all the families of the earth should be
blessed.’ And in order to bring men to this blessed state,
God poureth out of his Spirit upon all flesh; and Christ doth
enlighten every one that cometh into the world; and the
grace of God, which bringeth salvation, hath appeared unto
all men, and teacheth Christians, the true believers in Christ;
and God doth write his law in the true Christians’ hearts, and
putteth it in their minds, that they may ‘all know the Lord,
from the greatest to the least;’least;’ and he giveth his word in their
hearts to obey and do, and the anointing within them; so that
they need not any man to teach them, but as the anointing
doth teach them.
“Now all such as turn people from the Light, Spirit,
Grace, Word, and Anointing within, remove them from their
heavenly landmark of their eternal inheritance, and make
them blind; and cause the blind to wander from the living
way to their eternal house in the heavens, and from the new
and heavenly Jerusalem. So they are cursed, that cause the
blind to wander out of their way, and to remove them from
their heavenly landmark.”
G. F.
I wrote also a paper to show, by instances from the
Scriptures, that “many of the holy men and prophets of God,
and of the apostles of Christ, were husbandmen and tradesmen;”
by which people might see how unlike to them the
world’s teachers now are:—
“Righteous Abel was a shepherd, ‘a keeper of sheep,’
Gen. iv. 2. Noah was a husbandman; and he was a ‘just
man, and perfect in his generation, and walked with God,’
Gen. ix. 20; vi. 9. Abraham, the father of the faithful, was
a husbandman, and had great flocks of cattle; and just Lot
was a husbandman, and had great flocks and herds, Gen. xiii.
481Isaac also was a husbandman, and had great ‘flocks and herds
of cattle, and great store of corn,’ Gen xxvi. 12, 14. And the
promise was with Isaac; for the Lord said to Abraham, ‘In
Isaac shall thy seed be called,’ Gen. xxi. 12. Jacob was a
husbandman, and his sons keepers of flocks of cattle, Gen.
xlvi. 32, 34, and God loved Jacob. Moses kept sheep, Exod.
iii. 1, and the Lord spake to him when he was keeping sheep,
ver. 4, and sent him to Pharaoh, to bring God’s people, or
sheep, out of Egypt. And by the hand and power of the
Lord, he and Aaron his brother brought them out of Egypt,
a land of anguish, bondage, darkness, and perplexity. And
Moses kept the Lord’s people, or sheep, forty years in the
wilderness; a meek shepherd of God he was, and kept his
great flock of sheep: though some of them were scabbed
with the leprosy of contention and murmuring, and were
destroyed in the wilderness.
“David (though he afterwards came to be a king) was a
keeper of his father’s sheep in the wilderness, 1 Sam. xvii.
15, 28. And the Lord God called him from the sheepcotes
to feed his sheep, the house of Israel, and to defend them
from the spiritual wolves, bears, and lions; and he did it to
purpose, who was a man after God’s own heart.
“Elisha was a ploughman, 1 Kings xix. 19. He was
called from the plough, to teach God’s people, the children
of Israel, to plough up the fallow ground of their hearts, that
they might bring forth seed and fruits to God, their Creator.
“The word of the Lord came to Amos, when he was
among the herdsmen of Tekoa, Amos i. 1. And Amaziah,
the priest of Bethel, said to Amos, ‘Prophesy not again any
more at Bethel; for it is the king’s chapel, and it is the
king’s court,’ chap. vii. 13. Then answered Amos, and said
to Amaziah, ‘I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s
son; but I was a herdsman, and a gatherer of sycamore-fruit;
and the Lord took me, as I followed the flock. And
the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel,’
ver. 14, 15. Here ye may see, how the Lord made use of a
poor man, and how he called him from following the outward
flock, and from gathering outward fruits, to gather his
fruits, and to follow his people or flock, the children of
Israel.
“Christ called Peter and Andrew his brother, when they
were fishing, and casting their net into the sea (for they were
fishers;) ‘and he said unto them, Follow me, and I will
make you fishers of men,’ Matt. iv. 18, 19. Christ likewise
called James and John his brother, when they were ‘in a
ship, with Zebedee, their father, mending their nets; and
they immediately left the ship, and their father, and followed
482him,’ ver. 21, 22. He gave them power (a net that will hold,
and not want mending), and made them fishers of men, to
fish them out of the great sea, the world of wickedness. We
read, that when Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of
Zebedee, and other disciples, went a fishing together, and
that night caught nothing, in the morning Jesus appeared to
them and said, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the ship,
and ye shall find;’ and they did so, and caught so great a
multitude, that they were not able to draw them to shore.
When thereupon one of the other disciples said unto Peter,
‘It is the Lord,’ Peter hearing that it was the Lord, ‘girded
his fisher’s coat unto him,’ John xxi. 2-7. This was after
Christ was risen. So here ye may see, Peter had not laid
aside his fisher’s coat all the while that he had been preaching
before Christ’s death.
“‘Jesus saw Matthew sitting at the receipt of custom,
and he said unto him, Follow me; and he arose and followed
him,’ Matt. ix. 9. And Christ employed Matthew to gather
his people, that were scattered from God; another manner
of treasure than the outward custom of the Romans. Luke
was a physician, whom Christ made a physician spiritual;
which was better than outward.
“Paul was a tent-maker; and being one of the same
craft with Aquila and Priscilla, he abode with them at
Corinth, and wrought (for by their occupation they were
tent-makers), Acts xviii. 3.”
G.F.
Gooses, the 1st Month, 1688-9.
It was now a time of much talk; and people busied
their minds and spent their time too much in hearing and
telling news. To show them the vanity thereof, and to draw
them from it, I wrote the following lines:—
“In the low region, in the airy life, all news is uncertain;
there nothing is stable; but in the higher region,
in the kingdom of Christ, there all things are stable and
sure, and the news always good and certain. For Christ,
who hath all power in heaven and in earth given unto him,
ruleth in the kingdoms of men; and he, who doth inherit
the heathen, and possess the utmost parts of the earth with
his divine power and light, rules all nations with his rod of
iron, and dashes them to pieces like a potter’s vessel, the
vessels of dishonour, and the leaky vessels, that will not
hold his living water; and he doth preserve his elect vessels
of mercy and honour. His power is certain, and changes
not, by which he removes the mountains and hills, and
483shakes the heavens and the earth. Leaky, dishonourable
vessels, the hills and mountains, and the old heavens and
the earth, are all to be shaken, and removed, and broken to
pieces, though they do not see it, nor him that doth it; but
his elect and faithful both see it and know him, and his
power, that cannot be shaken, and which changeth not.”
G.F.
The 5th of 1st Month, 1688-9.
About the middle of the first month, 1688-9, I went to
London, the parliament then sitting, and engaged about the
bill for indulgence. Though I was weak in body, and not
well able to stir about, yet so great a concern was upon my
spirit on behalf of truth and Friends, that I attended continually
for many days, with other Friends, at the parliament-house,
labouring with the members, that the thing might be
done comprehensively and effectually.
In this, and other services, I continued till towards the
end of the second month, when, being much spent with
continual labour, I got out of town for a little while as far
as Southgate and thereabouts. While I was there I wrote a
letter to Peter Hendricks, a Friend at Amsterdam, in which
I enclosed an epistle to the Friends at Dantzic, who at this
time were under great persecution. And as I wrote to encourage
and strengthen them in their testimony, and comfort
them in their sufferings for the truth, so also I wrote a
paper to their persecutors, the magistrates of Dantzic, laying
before them the evil of persecution, and persuading them to
Christian moderation, and “to do unto others in matters of
religion as they would be done unto.” Which papers were
as follows:—
“To Peter Hendricks at Amsterdam, and to Friends at Dantzic who are under persecution.
“Dear Friend P. H.
“With my love to thee and thy wife, J. Claus, and J.
Roeloffs, and all the rest of Friends everywhere in Christ
Jesus, who reigns over all. I am glad to hear that Friends
are well everywhere, except at Dantzic; and that you were
so diligent in spreading my papers to the strengthening of
484Friends. I have lately printed the life of William Caton,
but have not made a collection of his books. I think to send
some of them to you, which you may translate and print, if
you will; they may be serviceable among Friends, especially
them that knew him.[63]
“Concerning the dear Friends at Dantzic, whom the
Lord hath supported by his eternal arm and power to this
day; I hope by the same arm and power he will support
them, and in it they will feel his blessed presence with them
in all their sufferings; who is over the cruelty of their persecutors,
who will hardly let them breathe outwardly or inwardly
in the common air of their native soil. Which shows
both their immorality, inhumanity, and unchristianity, and
that they want the counsel of a Gamaliel amongst them;
whose actions are below the law of God, to ‘do unto others
as they would have others to do unto them:’ God will not
bless the doings of such. I desire, however, that Friends
may mind the Lord’s power, that is over all; be valiant for
his truth, and keep upon their rock and foundation, Christ
Jesus, that stands sure in this time of the heat of persecution,
which is so hot upon you, that they will not suffer you to
have so much as your houses to work and sleep in, nor to
meet, nor serve God in. The Lord beholds all such actors
and their actions. Therefore look over all to Him, who is
485able to deal with them and reward them according to their
works. God Almighty preserve you all in Christ Jesus, in
whom you have rest, life, and peace. Amen.”
G.F.
Southgate, the 28th of the 2nd Month, 1689.
“To the Magistrates of Dantzic:—Christian Shroder, President
of the Council, and Emanuel Dilger, N. Gadecken,
and N. Fraterus, Deputies of the Council, and the rest
of the Magistrates and Priests.
“We have seen your order, and your breathing out persecution
against that little flock, the lambs of Christ, that
live under your jurisdiction in the city of Dantzic; and that
you have imprisoned and banished two by the hangman out
of the government of your city; and others you threatened
to do the same to, with great punishment, if they return.
Likewise you threaten those with punishment they rent
their houses of, if they let them have them either to live in,
or meet in to serve and worship the Lord that made them.
Truly I am heartily sorry for both your magistrates and
priests, that go under the name of Christians, and show such
immoral, inhuman, and unchristian actions, below the royal
law of God, which is, to ‘do to others as you would have
them do unto you.’ For would you think it was moral,
human, or Christian, or according to the law of God, if the
king of Poland, who is of another religion than you, should
banish you out of your city by the hangman and call you
murderers of souls? Could you say, but this was according
to the law of God, ‘to do unto you as you have done unto
others?’
“But if you say that you have the sword, the horn, and
the power; blessed be the Lord that hath shortened your
sword, your power, and your horn, that it reaches no further
than your jurisdiction at Dantzic; and you do not know
how long God may suffer you to have your horn, your
power and your sword. We are sure you have not the
mind, nor the Spirit of Christ; and the apostle saith, ‘They
that have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his,’ Rom. viii.
And Christ bids Peter ‘put up his sword:’ they that draw
the sword concerning him, to defend him and his worship
and faith, should perish with the sword. Peter and the
apostles never drew the outward sword after; but said their
weapons were spiritual, not carnal; and they did not wrestle
with flesh and blood. Christ never gave any such command,
that they should banish any by the hangmen that were not
of their religion, and would not receive it.
“Are not you worse than the Turks, who let many religions
be in their country, yea, Christians, and to meet
486peaceably? Yea, the Turkish patroons let our Friends that
were captives meet together at Algiers, and said, ‘it was good
so to do.’ You are worse than those barbarous people at
Sallee who do not profess Christianity, for you profess
Christ in words, but in works deny him. And did you ever
find, either in Scripture or history, that any persecutors
prospered long? You are worse than they are in the Mogul’s
country, who, they say, permits sixty religions in his
dominions: and many others might be mentioned, all of
whom you exceed in your cruelty and persecution of God’s
people, only for meeting together in the name of Jesus, and
serving and worshipping God, their Creator. No, they must
not breathe their natural air, neither natural nor spiritual, in
your dominions. I pray, where had you these commands
from? Neither from Christ nor his apostles. Do not you
profess the Scriptures of the New Testament to be your rule?
But, I pray you, what Scripture have you for this practice?
It is good for you to be humble, to do justly, and love mercy;
call home your banished ones, and love and cherish them:
yea, though they were your enemies, you are to obey the
command of Christ, and love them. I wonder how you and
your wives and families can sleep quietly in your beds, that
do such cruel actions, without thinking the ‘Lord may do to
you the same!’ You cannot be without sense and feeling,
except you be given over to reprobation, and your consciences
seared with a hot iron. But Christian charity hopes that
you are not all in that state; but that there may be some relenting
or consideration of your actions among some of you,
either according to the law of God, or his gospel.
“From him that desires your temporal and eternal good
and salvation, and not destruction. Amen.”
G.F.
Middlesex, the 28th of the 2nd Month, 1689.
“Peter, thou mayest translate this into high Dutch, and
send them; and you may print it, if you will, and send it
abroad; and translate that part of the letter that is to Friends
into high Dutch, and send it to them.”
Having stayed in the country about three weeks, I returned
to London a little before the Yearly Meeting, which
was in the third month this year, and was a very solemn,
weighty meeting; the Lord, as formerly, visiting his people,
and honouring the assembly with his glorious presence, to
the great satisfaction and comfort of Friends. After the
business was over, it was upon me to add a few lines to the
487Epistle which went from the meeting to Friends, after this
manner:—
“Dear Friends and Brethren,
“Who have known the Lord’s eternal arm and power,
that hath preserved you upon the heavenly rock and foundation,
and hath built your house upon it; you have known
many winds, tempests, and storms, that have risen out of that
sea where the beast rose; and many raging storms that have
risen by apostates of several sorts; but the Seed that bruises
the serpent’s head, and is the foundation of God’s people,
stands sure. Dear Friends and brethren, though there be
great shakings in the world, the Lord’s power is over all, and
his kingdom cannot be shaken. Therefore all ye children
of God, children of the light, and heirs of his kingdom, a
joyful, peaceable habitation keep in; keeping out of all the
contentions and disputes about things below. Lay hand on
no man, nor nothing suddenly, lest they should be puffed up
with that which fades, and so come to loss: but mind the
Lord’s power, that keeps open your heavenly eye, to see things
present and to come; and in that ye will see and handle the
word of life.
“Dear Friends everywhere, have power over your own
spirits. As God hath blessed you with his outward things,
have a care of trusting in them, or falling into difference one
with another about these outward things that are below, which
will pass away. But all live in the love of God, and in that
live in peace with God, and one with another. Follow the
works of charity, and overcome evil with good to all; for
what good have all the tinklers done, with their cymbals and
sounding brass? They always bred confusion, and never
did good in any age; tinkling with their cymbals, and
sounding with their brass, to draw out the simple to follow
them. Therefore, it is good for all the children of God to
keep in their possession of life, and in the love of God, that
is everlasting.
“As for all the tumults of the world, and the apostates
from the truth, the Lord’s power is over them all, and Christ
reigns; and the Lord saith, ‘No weapon that is formed
against thee shall prosper,’ Isa. liv. 17. Now, Friends, you
are not insensible how many weapons have been formed
against us, who are the sons and daughters of God; and the
Lord hath restrained them according to his promise; they
have not prospered. The Lord said, ‘Every tongue that shall
rise up in judgment against thee, thou shalt condemn:’ so God
hath given such a power to his children, to condemn all the
tongues that shall rise up in judgment against them, and this
488is the heritage of the servants of the Lord; ‘their righteousness
is of me, saith the Lord.’ You are not insensible of the
many tongues that have risen up against us in judgment, yea,
of apostates and profane. But in and with the truth, the
power of God, according to the promise of God, ‘Every tongue
that riseth against thee, thou shalt condemn.’ It is not one
tongue only thou shalt condemn, but ‘every tongue that shall
rise up in judgment against thee, thou shalt condemn.’ The
Lord giveth this power to his servants and children, to judge
the evil tongues; and he doth restrain the weapons formed
against them, so that they shall not prosper against his
children that he hath begotten. Praises and honour be to
his holy name for ever! Amen.”
G.F.
Soon after this, the Yearly Meeting began at York;
which because of the largeness of that county, and for the
conveniency of Friends in the northern parts, had for some
years been held there. And inasmuch as there had been
some hurt done in that place, by some that were gone out
of the unity of Friends, it was upon me to write a few lines
to that meeting, “to exhort them to keep in the pure, heavenly
love, which brings into, and keeps in, the true unity.” Which
was thus:—
“Dear Friends and Brethren in Christ Jesus,
“Whom the Lord by his eternal arm and power hath
preserved to this day, all walk in the power and Spirit of
God, that is over all, in love and unity; for love overcomes,
builds up, and unites all the members of Christ to him the
Head. Love keeps out of all strife, and is of God. Love, or
charity, never fails, but keeps the mind above all outward
things, and strife about outward things. It overcomes evil,
and casts out all false fears. It is of God, and unites all the
hearts of his people together in the heavenly joy, concord,
and unity. The God of love preserve you all, and establish
you in Christ Jesus, your life and salvation, in whom ye have
all peace with God. So walk in him, that ye may be ordered
in his peaceable, heavenly wisdom, to the glory of God, and
the comfort one of another. Amen.”
G.F.
London, the 27th of the 3rd Month, 1689.
Being much wearied and spent with many large meetings,
and much business with Friends, during the time of the
Yearly Meeting, and finding my health much impaired
489thereby, I went out of town with my daughter Rous, to their
country-house near Kingston, and tarried there most of the
remaining part of the summer. In which time I sometimes
visited Friends at Kingston, and wrote divers things for the
service of truth and Friends. One was an epistle to Friends
in Barbadoes; as follows:—
“To all Friends in Barbadoes, that are convinced of God’s truth.”
“My desires are that ye may live and walk in his peaceable
truth, and show forth that ye are children of the light and
of the truth; for the heavenly, gentle, and peaceable wisdom
is justified of her children. But debate, strife, wilfulness, and
laying open one another’s nakedness and weakness, is not
the practice of heavenly wisdom’s children (but of Ham’s,)
nor from the Spirit of Christ; neither such as bite and tear
one another; that is from a devouring spirit, not from the
Spirit of Jesus, which covers that which is uncomely, and
can forgive.
“Now, my Friends, you profess that truth which is
beyond all the world’s ways; therefore see that you excel
them in the heavenly, gentle wisdom, that is easy to be entreated;
for the wisdom of the world is not easy to be
entreated; and sometimes will not be entreated at all. Pray
see you excel the world in wisdom, in virtue, in kindness,
in love that is over hatred, in meekness and humility, in
sobriety, civility, and modesty, in temperance and patience,
and in all morality and humanity, which will not act anything
below men or unmanly. Show forth true Christianity,
and that ye are the converted and translated believers in
Christ, dwelling in the love of God, that beareth all things,
endureth all things, is not puffed up, and envies not. For
they that are out of this love of God and Christian charity,
are nothing, but as a tinkling cymbal and as sounding brass,
and are discontented, murmurers, and complainers, full of
doubts, questions, and false jealousies. Keep that spirit out
of the camp of God; for do not you read in the Scriptures,
both of the New and Old Testament, that the end of such
was misery? Therefore, in the love of God, build up one
another; for love edifies the body of Christ, and he commands
his believers to love enemies, and to love one another;
by this they are known to be the disciples of Christ. But to
live in envy, strife, and hatred, is a mark they are no
disciples of Christ; ‘For he that loveth not his brother,
abides in death; and whosoever hates his brother, is a
490murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life
abiding in him. But they that love the brethren, are passed
from death to life,’ 1 John iii. 14, 15. And, ‘if a man say, I
love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that
loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he
love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment
have we from God, that he who loveth God,
love his brother also,’ chap. iv. 20, 21. ‘Therefore, love
one another;’ for love is of God, and hatred is of
the devil; and every one that loveth is born of God,
and knows God. All are children of God by creation;
therefore in that state they are to love their neighbours as
themselves; and to do unto all men as they would have
them do unto them.
“Secondly, God poureth his Spirit upon all flesh (or all
men and women;) all that are led by the Spirit of God are
the sons of God, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;
and are in fellowship in the everlasting gospel; and in unity
in the Spirit, the bond of peace. They that go out of this
unity, out of the bond of peace, and do not keep it, break
the King of king’s peace; but they that keep in the unity,
and fellowship in the Spirit, and walk in the light, have
fellowship one with another, and with the Father and the
Son. It is not everyone that talks of the light, of the word,
of righteousness, of Christ, and of God, but he that ‘doeth
the will of God.’ Therefore, my Friends, strive to excel
one another in love, in virtue, in good life and conversation;
and strive all to be of one mind, heart, and judgment in the
Spirit of God; for in Christ all are one, and are in peace
with him. The Lord God Almighty preserve you in him,
your rock and foundation, that is heavenly and stands sure;
that ye may be valiant for the truth upon earth, for the Lord
and his glorious name; that ye may all serve him in your
generation, and in his new creation in Christ Jesus. Amen.
“And now, that you are come into so much favour with
the magistrates and powers, that they let you serve the office
of constable, &c., without swearing or taking any oaths,
hereby Christ’s doctrine and command, and his apostle’s is
set up. Therefore, I desire, that you may double your
diligence in your offices, in doing that which is just, and
true, and righteous; so that ye may excel and exceed all
that are tied or bound by oaths to perform their offices; and
you can do it upon your Yea and Nay; so say, and so do;
according to Christ’s doctrine and command. For Adam and
Eve, by disobeying the command of God, fell under condemnation;
and they that disobey the command of Christ,
in taking oaths and swearing, go into evil and fall into condemnation,
491Matt. v.; James v. My love in the Lord is to
you all.”
G.F.
Kingston-upon-Thames, the 10th of the 5th Month, 1689.
I stayed at Kingston till the beginning of the seventh
month, where not only Friends came to visit me, but some
considerable people of the world, with whom I discoursed
about the things of God. Then leaving Kingston, I went to
London by water, visiting Friends as I went, and taking
Hammersmith meeting in my way. Having recovered some
strength by being in the country, when I was come to
London, I went from meeting to meeting, labouring
diligently in the work of the Lord, and opening the divine
mysteries of the heavenly things, as God by his Spirit opened
them in me. But I found my body would not long bear the
city; wherefore, when I had travelled amongst Friends
there about a month, I went to Tottenham-High-Cross,
and thence to Edward Mann’s country-house near Winchmore-Hill,
and to Enfield, spending three weeks among
Friends thereabouts; and had meetings at all those places.
Then, being a little refreshed with being in the country, I
went back to London; where I tarried, labouring in the
work of the ministry, till the middle of the ninth month; at
which time I went down with my son Mead to his house in
Essex, and abode there all the winter. During which I
stirred not much abroad, unless it were sometimes to the
meeting, to which that family belonged, which was about
half-a-mile from thence; but I had meetings often in the
house with the family, and those Friends that came thither.
Many things also I wrote, while I was there; some of
which follow. One was an epistle to the quarterly and
yearly meetings of Friends in Pennsylvania, New England,
Virginia, Maryland, the Jerseys, Carolina and other plantations
in America. Which was thus:—
“My Dear Friends and Brethren in the Lord
Jesus Christ,
“Who, by believing in his light, are become children of
his light and of his day; my desires are, that you may all
492walk in the light and in the day, and keep the feast of Christ
our passover, who is sacrificed for us, not with old leaven,
neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but let all
that be purged out, that ye may be a new lump, keeping the
feast of Christ our passover, with the unleavened bread of
sincerity and truth. Let no leavened bread be found in your
houses, nor in your meetings, nor in the camp of God, or
household of faith, which are the household of Christ; but
all that old leaven, which makes people’s hearts sour, and
burn one against another, must be purged out of the camp of
God, and kept out. For the feast of Christ our passover,
must be kept in the New Covenant, with his heavenly unleavened
bread of life. The Jews’ feast in the Old Testament
was kept with outward, unleavened bread; and now in the
New Testament, in the gospel day, our feast is to be kept with
the heavenly, unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
“Therefore, Friends, I desire you seriously to consider
and to keep this feast, which the apostle directed the church
of Christ to keep. Do you not see Christendom, so called,
keep their feasts with the leavened bread of malice and
wickedness? which makes them so sour, and their hearts so
burn one against another, that they have destroyed, or do
destroy one another about religion. Therefore, all live in
the love of God, which keeps above the love of the world,
so that none of your hearts may be choked or surfeited with
these outward things, or with the cares of the world, which
will pass away; but mind ye the world and the life that is
without end, that ye may be heirs of it.
“And Friends, you should strive to excel all, both professor
and profane, in morality, humanity, and Christianity,
modesty, sobriety, and moderation, and in a good, godly,
righteous life and conversation, showing forth the fruits of
the Spirit, and that you are the children of the living God,
children of the light, and of the day, and not of the night.
And serve God in newness of life; for it is the life, and a living
and walking in the truth, that must answer the witness of
God in all people; that ‘they, seeing your good works, may
glorify our Father, which is in heaven.’ Therefore, be valiant
for God’s holy, pure truth, and spread it abroad, among both
professors and profane, and the Indians.
“And you should write over once a year, from all your
yearly meetings to the yearly meeting here, concerning your
diligence in the truth, and of its spreading, and of people’s
receiving it, both professors and profane, and the Indians;
and concerning the peace of the church of Christ amongst
yourselves. For, blessed be the Lord, truth gains ground in
these parts, and many are made very loving to Friends, and
493the Lord’s power and seed is over all; in which God Almighty
keep all his people to his glory. Amen.”
G.F.
Gooses, the 28th of the 11th Month, 1689.
While I was in the city, I had a concern upon my spirit
with respect to a twofold danger that attended some who
professed truth: one was of young people’s running into the
fashions of the world; and the other was of old people’s
going into earthly things. And that concern coming now
again weightily upon me, I was moved to give forth the
following paper, as a reproof to such, and an exhortation and
warning to all Friends to beware of, and keep out of those
snares:—
“To all that profess the Truth of God.”
“My desires are, that you may walk in humility in it.
For when the Lord first called me forth, he let me see, that
young people grew up together in vanity and the fashions of
the world; and old people went downwards into the earth,
raking it together; and to both these I was to be a stranger.
And now, Friends, I see too many young people that profess
the truth, grow up into the fashions of the world, and too
many parents indulge them; and amongst the elder, some
are going downwards, and raking after the earth. Therefore
take heed, that you are not making your graves, while you
are alive outwardly, and loading yourselves with thick clay
(Hab. ii. 6). For if you have not power over the earthly
spirit, and that which leadeth into a vain mind, and the
fashions of the world, and into the earth, though you have
often had the rain fall upon your fields, you will but bring
forth thistles, briars, and thorns, which are for the fire.
Such will become brittle, peevish, fretful spirits, that will
not abide the heavenly doctrine, the admonitions, exhortations,
and reproofs of the Holy Ghost, or heavenly Spirit of God;
which would bring you to be conformable to the death of
Christ, and to his image, that ye might have fellowship with
him in his resurrection. Therefore it is good for all to bow
to the name of Jesus, their Saviour, that all may confess him
to the glory of God, the Father.
“For I have had a concern upon me, in a sense of the
danger of young people’s going into the fashions of the world,
and old people’s going into earthly things, and many going
into a loose and false liberty, till at last they go quite out
into the spirit of the world, as some have done. The house
of such hath been built upon the sand of the sea-shore, not
494upon Christ, the Rock, that they are so soon in the world again,
under a pretence of liberty of conscience. But it is not a
pure conscience, nor in the Spirit of God, nor in Christ Jesus;
for in the liberty in the Spirit there is the unity, which is
the bond of peace; and all are one in Christ Jesus, in whom
is the true liberty: and this is not of the world; for He is
not of the world. Therefore all are to stand fast in Him,
as they have received Him; for in Him there is peace, who
is the Prince of Peace; but in the world there is trouble.
For the spirit of the world is a troublesome spirit; but the
Spirit of Christ is a peaceable Spirit; in which God Almighty
preserve all the faithful. Amen.”
G.F.
Gooses, the 1st of the 2nd Month, 1690.
Another paper I wrote while I was here, “concerning
the Ensign, which Isaiah prophesied the Lord should set up
for the Gentiles,” which I showed was Christ. Of which
follows a copy:—
“The Lord saith, ‘They shall not hurt nor destroy in
all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the
knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea,’ Isa. xi. 9.
‘And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall
stand for an Ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles
seek, and his rest shall be glorious,’ ver. 10. ‘And he shall
reign over the Gentiles, and in him shall the Gentiles trust,’
Rom. xv. 12. This Ensign is Christ, who was prophesied of
by the prophet; which prophecy the apostle, who was a
minister to the Gentiles, showeth was fulfilled in the New
Testament. And in this day of Christ, Isaiah saith, ‘The
Lord shall set his hand again the second time, to recover the
remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria and
from Egypt,’ &c. ‘And‘And he shall set up an Ensign for the
nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather
together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the
earth,’ ver. 11, 12. This is in the day of Christ, and his
gospel of life and salvation, which is preached to every
creature under heaven; who ‘enlighteneth every man that
cometh into the world,’ both Jews and Gentiles; that by his
heavenly, divine light, they may see Christ, their Ensign, and
Captain of their salvation; so Christ is one Ensign both to
the Jews and Gentiles.
“Isaiah saith, ‘The Redeemer shall come to Sion,’ &c.,
Isa. lix. 20. And, ‘This is my covenant with them, saith the
Lord, my Spirit, that is upon thee (to wit, Christ), and my
words, which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out
495of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of
the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth
and for ever,’ ver. 21. ‘Arise, shine, for thy light is
come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee,’ chap. lx.
1. ‘And the Gentiles shall come to thy light,’ ver. 3. ‘And
the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee,’ ver. 5
(the sea is the world). ‘The Lord shall be thy everlasting
light,’ ver. 20. And, ‘Thou shalt call thy walls, Salvation,
and thy gates, Praise,’ ver. 18. And the Lord saith, ‘I will
make the place of my feet glorious,’ ver. 13. ‘Heaven is his
throne, and the earth is his footstool,’ chap. lxvi. 1. ‘And
he that puts his trust in me, saith the Lord, shall possess the
land, and shall inherit my holy mountain,’ chap. lvii. 13.
Which mountain is established above all the mountains and
hills, Isa. ii. 2. The Lord saith (speaking of Christ), ‘I have
put my spirit upon him, he shall bring forth judgment to
the Gentiles,’ Isa xlii. 1. And he saith of him, ‘I will give
thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the
prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house.
I am the Lord, that is my name, and my glory will
I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images,’
ver. 6-8. So Christ the Light is come, and the glory of the
Lord is risen; and the Gentiles are come to the Light of
Christ. This prophecy of Isaiah concerning Christ, many of
the Gentiles witness fulfilled, that ‘Salvation is come to the
Gentiles,’ Rom. xi. 11. God gave his glory to his Son; and
Christ saith, ‘The glory which thou gavest me, I have given
them (namely, his believers and followers), that they may be
one, even as we are one,’ John xvii. 22.
“Now“Now here you may see, the promises and prophecies are
fulfilled in Christ Jesus, whom God hath given for an Ensign
both to the Jews and Gentiles, and the Captain of their salvation;
and he doth enlighten every one that cometh into
the world; that with his heavenly, divine light, they might
see Christ, the Lord from heaven, their Captain and Ensign,
and trust in Him, their Conqueror, who bruises the serpent’s
head, and destroys the devil and his works; and Christ and
his followers overcome the dragon, beast, and false prophet.
Therefore all Jews, Gentiles, and Christians, that come to
believe in Christ, are to stand to their Ensign, Christ; who is
also the Captain of their salvation, above all ensigns and
captains below; for he is from above; therefore all are to
trust in him; for he is certain and able to save to the utmost, &c.
He is the same Ensign and Captain to-day that he was yesterday,
and so for ever, the First and the Last, the Beginning
and the Ending, the Lord of all lords, and King of all kings
496upon the earth; and there is nothing certain to be trusted in
below Christ Jesus, who is from above.
“You see in the Scriptures there were many ways and
religions among the heathen, as there were many sects among
the Jews when Christ came; and now there are many sects
or religions among the Christians, who believe from the
Scriptures that ‘he is come,’ as the Jews believed ‘he was to
come.’ But they that close their eyes, and stop their ears to
the Light of Christ, are not likely to see Christ, who hath enlightened
them, to be their Ensign and the Captain of their salvation,
that see not with the heavenly eye, nor hear with the
heavenly ear, to see and hear their heavenly Ensign and
Captain of their salvation, to convert and heal them; that
they might follow him, and be of his holy camp, his heavenly
soldiers, to whom he gives spiritual arms and armour, the
helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the
armour of light, and the shield of faith (which will quench
all the fiery darts of Satan, and give victory), and the sword
of the Spirit, the Word of God, which shall cut, hammer
down, and burn up all the strongholds of Satan. Also he
clothed his soldiers with fine linen, white and clean, his
righteousness, and shoeth them with the everlasting gospel
of peace, the power of God; which clothes and shoes will
never wax old. And all that are shod with the everlasting
gospel, the power of God, will never wax old, but will stand
all storms and tempests in the world. They that are shod
with the gospel, the power of God, can in it tread upon
serpents, vipers, and scorpions, and all the venomous beasts
upon the earth, and all the thorns, briars, brambles, thistles,
and sharp rocks and mountains, and never be hurt, nor ever
wear out their shoes; but their feet are always beautiful
upon the mountains. Moses, a captain, the servant of the
Lord, said unto the people of Israel, ‘I have led you forty
years in the wilderness; your clothes are not waxen old
upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot,’
Deut. xxix. 5. Here ye may see the Jews in the Old Testament,
their clothes and their shoes did not wax old; so they
who are Christ’s followers, whom he shoeth with his everlasting
gospel of peace, clothes with his fine linen, his righteousness,
and arms with his arms and armour, are clothed,
shod, and armed, with that which will never decay, or wax
old, never canker, or rust, corrupt, or grow blunt.
“Now“Now, all (whether Christians, or Jews, or Gentiles) that
hate the Light of Christ, and close their eyes and stop their
ears to it, are not likely to see Christ, their Ensign, and Captain
of their salvation; but are blind. As no outward captain
would enlist a company of blind and deaf men, and clothe
497and arm them with outward armour; so such as are blind
and deaf, whose eyes are closed, and ears stopped to the
heavenly Light of Christ, he is not likely to clothe them with
his fine linen, and arm them with his heavenly and spiritual
armour; neither are they like to be heavenly and spiritually
disciplined, to see and know his holy, spiritual, living camp,
nor to follow him, while they are deaf and blind, and hate
his Light, which is the Life in Christ. For it is the Light
that shines in the heart, which gives the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus; who is the Ensign
and Captain of men’s salvation, and who hath brought, and
doth bring many sons unto glory; praises, honour, and glory
be unto the Lord over all, who liveth for ever. Amen.”
G.F.
Gooses, the 14th of the 2nd Month, 1690.
A week after this I returned to London; and after a
little stay there went to visit Friends at Kingston, where I
stayed not long; but came back to London, and remained
there in the Lord’s work till after the Yearly Meeting, which
was in the fourth month this year; in which the wonted
goodness of the Lord was witnessed, his blessed presence
enjoyed, and his heavenly power livingly felt, opening the
hearts of his people unto him, and his divine treasures of
life and wisdom in and unto them; whereby many useful
and necessary things, relating to the safety of Friends and
to the honour and prosperity of truth, were weightily treated
of, and unanimously concluded.
After the meeting I wrote the following paper to Friends,
to be added to the epistle which from the Yearly Meeting
was sent into the several counties:—
“All Friends everywhere, that are alive to God through
Jesus Christ, and are living members of Christ, the holy
Head, be still; and stand still in the Lord’s camp of holiness
and righteousness; and therein see the salvation of God,
and your eternal life, rest, and peace. In it you may feel
and see the Lord’s power is over all; and how the Lord is at
work in his power, ruling the nations with his rod of iron,
and breaking (in the nations) the old leaky vessels and
cisterns to pieces, like the potter’s vessels, that will not hold
his living water; who are erred from his Spirit.
“But blessed be the Lord God of heaven and earth, who,
by his eternal arm and power hath settled all his people
498upon the living, holy rock and foundation, that stands sure;
whom he hath drawn by his Spirit to his Son, and gathered
into the name of Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, full of
grace and truth; who hath all power in heaven and in earth
given to him; whose name is above every name under the
whole heaven; and all his living members know there is no
salvation given by any other name than by the name of
Jesus. He, their salvation and their living head, is felt in
the midst of them in his light, life, Spirit, grace, and truth,
and his word of patience, wisdom, and power; who is his
people’s prophet, that God hath raised up in his New Testament
and Covenant, to open to them; and their living Shepherd,
that hath purchased, redeemed, and bought them with
his precious blood.
“Christ, the living One, feeds his living sheep in his
pastures of life, and they know their living Shepherd’s voice
with his living bread and water, and follow him; and will
not follow any of the world’s hirelings, nor thieves, nor robbers,
nor climbers, that are without Christ, the door. Christ’s
living children likewise know him, the bishop of their souls,
to oversee them with his heavenly and spiritual eye, that
they may be preserved in his fold of life, and go no more
forth. They also know Christ, their holy priest, that by the
grace of God tasted death for them, and for every man, and
is a propitiation for their sins; and not for theirs only, but
for the sins of the whole world: and by the one offering up
of himself he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
“Such a High-priest becomes Christ’s sheep in his New
Covenant and Testament, who is holy, harmless, and separate
from sinners, and is made higher than the heavens; who is
not made a priest after the order of Aaron, with his tithes,
offerings, &c., but makes an end of all those things, having
abolished them; and is made a High-priest after the power
of an endless life, who ever liveth to make intercession for
his people: and is able to save to the uttermost all that come
to God through him. He is the one holy Mediator between
God and man; who sanctifies his people, his church, that he
is head of, and presents them to God without spot, or wrinkle,
or blemish, or any such thing; and makes them a holy,
royal priesthood, to offer up spiritual, holy sacrifices, acceptable
to God by Jesus Christ, who is King of all kings, and
Lord of all lords in the earth; so a holy, heavenly King,
who hath all power in heaven and in earth given to him;
and rules in all the hearts of his sheep and lambs, by his
holy, divine, precious faith, that is held in all the pure consciences
of his people: of which holy faith Christ, the holy
One, is the author and finisher. By this holy faith all the
499just live: in which divine and precious faith all the just and
holy ones have unity; by it they quench all the fiery darts of
Satan, have access to the pure God, and in it please him.
“Christ, who is set on the right hand of the throne of
the Majesty in heaven, in his New Testament and New
Covenant, is the minister of the sanctuary and true tabernacle
which the Lord hath pitched, and not man. Therefore all
the lambs and sheep of Christ must feel this holy Minister
in their temple and sanctuary, who ministers spiritual, holy,
and heavenly things to them in their sanctuary and tabernacle.
For all the tabernacles and sanctuaries that are built
or pitched by man, men make ministers for them; and such
ministers are of men and by men, with their worldly sanctuaries
and tabernacles of men’s pitching, by men’s hands.
“And now, dear Friends and brethren everywhere that
are of the flock of Christ; Christ our passover is sacrificed for
us. Therefore let us all keep this heavenly feast of our passover
in his New Testament and Covenant, not with old
leaven, neither of malice nor wickedness; but let all that be
purged out, with the sour, old leavened bread, that all may
become a new lump; and so keep this heavenly feast of
Christ, our heavenly Passover, with the unleavened bread
(mark, with the unleavened bread) of sincerity and truth.
My desires are, that all the flock of Christ everywhere may
keep this heavenly feast of Christ, our heavenly passover,
with his heavenly, unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Amen.”
G.F.
I stayed in town three weeks or a month after the
Yearly Meeting; and then went to Tottenham-High-Cross,
where was a meeting on First-day, which I was at;
and then went to Edward Mann’s house, at Ford-Green, near
Winchmore-Hill; and on the First-day following to the
meeting at Enfield, where the Lord gave me many precious
openings to declare to the people. Afterwards moving
amongst Friends thereabouts, I visited the meetings at
Cheshunt, Waltham Abbey, Enfield, Tottenham, and
Winchmore-Hill, frequently; the Lord being with me,
and opening many deep and weighty truths, divine and
heavenly mysteries to his people, through me, to their great
refreshment, and my joy. After some time I went to Hertford,
to visit Friends there; and was at their meeting on a
First-day. And having something more particular upon me
500to the ancient Friends of that place, I had a meeting with
some of them the next day, and imparted what the Lord had
given me for them. Then passing to Ware, I made a little
stay amongst Friends there, and was at their meeting. After
which, returning, amongst Friends about Edmonton side
and Tottenham, and taking meetings as I went, I came
back to London the end of the seventh month.
I remained at London till the beginning of the ninth
month, being continually exercised in the work of the Lord,
either in public meetings, opening the way of truth to
people, and building up and establishing Friends therein, or
in other services relating to the church of God. For the
parliament now sitting, and having a bill before them concerning
oaths, and another concerning clandestine marriages,
several Friends attended the house, to get those bills so
worded, that they might not be hurtful to Friends. In this
service I also assisted, attending on the parliament, and discoursing
the matter with several of the members.
Having stayed more than a month in London, and much
spent myself in these services, I went to Tottenham; and
some time after to Ford-Green; at which places I continued
several weeks, visiting Friends’ meetings round about
there, at Tottenham, Enfield, and Winchmore-Hill. In
this time several things came upon me to write; one was
“An epistle to Friends in the ministry.”
“All Friends in the ministry everywhere, to whom God
hath given a gift of the ministry, and who travel up and
down in it, do not ‘hide your talent, nor put your light
under a bushel, nor cumber or entangle yourselves with the
affairs of this world.’ For the natural soldiers are not to
cumber themselves with the world, much less the soldiers of
Christ, who are not of this world; but are to mind the riches
and glory of the world that is everlasting. Therefore, stir
up the gift of God in you, and improve it; do not sit down,
Demas-like, and embrace this present world, that will have
an end; lest ye become idolaters. Be valiant for God’s truth
upon the earth, and spread it abroad in the day-light of
Christ, you who have sought the kingdom of God, and the
righteousness thereof, and have received it, and preached it;
501which ‘stands in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the
Holy Ghost.’
“As“As able ministers of the Spirit sow to the Spirit, that of
the Spirit ye may reap life everlasting. Go on in the Spirit,
ploughing with it in the purifying hope; and thrashing,
with the power and Spirit of God, the wheat out of the chaff
of corruption, in the same hope. For he that looks back
from the spiritual plough into the world, is not fit for the
spiritual and everlasting kingdom of God; and is not likely
to press into it, as the faithful do. Therefore you that are
awakened to righteousness, and to the knowledge of the
truth, keep yourselves awakened in it; then the enemy
cannot sow his tares in your field; for truth and righteousness
is over him, and before he was. My desires are, that all
may fulfil their ministry, that the Lord Jesus Christ hath
committed to them; and then by the blood (or life) and testimony
of Jesus you will overcome the enemy that opposes
it, within and without.
“All“All All you that preach the truth, do it as it is in Jesus, in
love: and all that are believers in Jesus, and receivers of
him, he gives them power to become the sons of God, and
joint-heirs with Christ; whom he calleth brethren; and he
gives them the water of life, which shall be a well in them,
springing up as a river to eternal life, that they may water
the spiritual plants of the living God. So that all may be
spiritual planters, and spiritual waterers; and may see with
the spiritual eye the everlasting, eternal God over all, to give
the increase, who is the infinite fountain. My desires are,
that you may be kept out of all the beggarly elements of the
world, which are below the spiritual region, to Christ, the
Head; and may hold Him, who bruiseth the head of enmity,
and was before it was; that ye may all be united together in
love, in your Head, Christ, and be ordered by his heavenly,
gentle, peaceable wisdom, to the glory of God. For all that
be in Christ, are in love, peace, and unity. In Him they are
strong, and in a full persuasion; and in Him, who is the first
and the last, they are in a heavenly resolution and confidence
for God’s everlasting honour and glory. Amen.
“From him, who is translated into the kingdom of his
dear Son, with all his saints, a heavenly salutation. Salute
one another with a holy kiss of charity, that never faileth.”
G.F.
Ford-Green, the 25th of the 9th Month, 1690.
Another epistle I wrote soon after, more particularly to
the Friends in the ministry that were gone into America;
after this manner:—
502
“Dear Friends and Brethren, Ministers, Exhorters, and
Admonishers, that are gone into America and the islands
thereaway. Stir up the gift of God in you, and the pure
mind, and improve your talents, that ye may be the light of
the world, a city set upon a hill, that cannot be hid. Let
your light shine among the Indians, the Blacks, and the
Whites, that ye may answer the truth in them, and bring
them to the standard and ensign, that God hath set up, Christ
Jesus. For from the rising of the sun to the going down of
the same, God’s name shall be great among the Gentiles; and
in every temple, or sanctified heart, incense shall be offered
up to God’s name.
“And have salt in yourselves, that ye may be the salt of
the earth, that ye may salt it; that it may be preserved from
corruption and putrefaction; so that all sacrifices offered up
to the Lord may be seasoned, and be a good savour to God.
All grow in the faith and grace of Christ, that ye may not be
like dwarfs, for a dwarf shall not come near to offer upon
God’s altar; though he may eat of God’s bread, that he may
grow by it. And Friends, be not negligent, but keep up
your negroes’ meetings and your family meetings; and have
meetings with the Indian kings, and their councils and subjects
everywhere, and with others. Bring them all to the
baptizing and circumcising Spirit, by which they may know
God, and serve and worship Him. And all take heed of
having your minds in earthly things, coveting and striving
for them; for to be carnally minded brings death, and
covetousness is idolatry. There is too much strife and contention
about that idol, which makes too many go out of the
sense and fear of God; so that some have lost morality,
humanity, and true Christian charity.
“O therefore, be awakened to righteousness, and keep
awakened: for the enemy soweth his tares, while men and
women sleep in carelessness, and security. Therefore so
many slothful ones go in their filthy rags, and have not the
fine linen, the righteousness of Christ; but are straggling,
and ploughing with their ox and their ass, in their woollen
and linen garments, mixed stuff, feeding upon torn food that
dieth of itself, and drinking of the dregs of their old bottle,
and eating the sour, leavened bread, which makes their hearts
burn one against another. But all are to keep the feast of
Christ, our passover, with the unleavened bread of sincerity
and truth. This unleavened bread of life from heaven, makes
all hearts and souls glad and joyful, lightsome and cheerful,
to serve and love God, and to love, and serve one another in
the peaceable truth, and to keep in the unity of God’s Spirit,
which is the bond of peace. In this love and peace, God
503Almighty keep and preserve all his people, and make them
valiant for his truth upon the earth, to spread it abroad in
doctrine, good life and conversation. Amen.
“All the members of Christ have need one of another.
For the foot hath need of the hand, and the hand of the foot;
the ear hath need of the eye, and the eye of the ear. So that
all the members are serviceable in the body, which Christ is
the head of; and the head sees their service. Therefore, let
none despise the least member.
“Have a care to keep down that greedy, earthly mind,
that raveneth and coveteth after the riches and things of this
world, lest ye fall into the low region, like the Gentiles or
heathen, and so lose the kingdom of God, that is everlasting;
but seek that first, and God knows what things ye have need
of; who takes care for all, both in heaven and in the earth:
thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gifts, both temporal
and spiritual.”
G. F.
Tottenham, the 11th of the 10th Month, 1690.
Not long after I returned to London, and was almost
daily with Friends at meetings. When I had been near two
weeks in town, the sense of the great hardships and sore
sufferings that Friends had been and were under in Ireland,[64]
coming with great weight upon me, I was moved to write the
following epistle, as a word of consolation unto them:—
“Dear Friends and Brethren in the Lord Jesus Christ,
whom the Lord by his eternal arm and power hath upheld
through your great sufferings, exercises, trials, and hardships
(more, I believe, than can be uttered), up and down that
504nation, which I am very sensible of; and the rest of the
faithful Friends, who have been partakers with you in your
sufferings; and who cannot but suffer with the Lord’s people
that suffer. My confidence hath been in the Lord, that he
would and will support you in all your sufferings; and that
he would preserve all the faithful in his wisdom, that they
might give no just occasion to one nor other to make them
suffer; and if you did suffer wrongfully, or unjustly, that the
righteous God would assist and uphold you; and reward
them according to their works, that oppressed or wronged
you.
“And now my desire is unto the Lord, that in the same
holy and heavenly wisdom, ye may all be preserved to the
end of your days, to the glory of God, minding His supporting
hand and power, who is God All-sufficient, to strengthen,
help, and refresh, in time of need. Let none forget the Lord’s
mercies and kindnesses, which endure for ever; but always
live in the sense of them. And truly, Friends, when I consider
the thing, it is the great mercy of the Lord, that ye
have not been all swallowed up, seeing with what spirits ye
have been compassed about. But the Lord carrieth his lambs
in his arms, and they are as tender to him as the apple of his
eye; and his power is his hedge about his vineyard of heavenly
plants.
“Therefore it is good for all his children, to be given up
to the Lord with their minds and souls, hearts and spirits,
who is a faithful keeper, that never slumbers nor sleeps; but
is able to preserve and keep you, and to save to the utmost;
and none can hurt so much as a hair of your heads, except
he suffer it, to try you; for he upholds all things, in heaven
and in earth, by the Word of his power; all things were
made by Christ, and by him all things consist (mark, consist),
whether they be visible or invisible, &c. So he hath
power over all; for all power in heaven and in earth is
given to him; and to you that have received him, he hath
given power to become the sons and daughters of God; so
living members of Christ, the living head, grafted into Him,
in whom ye have eternal life. Christ, the Seed, reigns, and
his power is over all; who bruises the serpent’s head, and
destroys the devil and his works, and was before he was. So
all of you live and walk in Christ Jesus; that nothing may
be between you and God, but Christ, in whom ye have salvation,
life, rest, and peace with God.
“As for the affairs of truth in this land and abroad, I
hear that in Holland and Germany and thereaway, Friends
are in love, unity, and peace; and in Jamaica, Barbadoes,
Nevis, Antigua, Maryland, and New England, I hear nothing
505but Friends are in unity and peace. The Lord preserve them
all, out of the world (in which there is trouble), in Christ
Jesus, in whom there is peace, life, love, and unity. Amen.
My love in the Lord Jesus Christ to all Friends everywhere
in your land, as though I named them.”
G.F.
London, the 10th of the 11th Month, 1690.
Thus, reader, thou hast had some account of the life
and travels, labours, sufferings, and manifold trials and
exercises of this holy man of God, from his youth to almost
the time of his death, of which himself kept a journal; out
of which the foregoing sheets were transcribed. It remains
that an account be added of the time, place, and manner of
his death and burial, which were thus:—
The day after he had written the foregoing epistle to
Friends in Ireland, he went to the meeting at Gracechurch
Street, which was large, being the First-day of the week;
and the Lord enabled him to preach the truth fully and
effectually, opening many deep and weighty things with
great power and clearness. After which having prayed, and
the meeting being ended, he went to Henry Goldney’s, in
White-Hart-Court, near the meeting-house; and some
Friends going with him there, he told them “he thought he
felt the cold strike to his heart, as he came out of the
meeting;” “yet,” he added, “I am glad I was here; now I
am clear, I am fully clear.” As soon as the Friends withdrew,
he lay down upon a bed (as he sometimes used to do,
through weariness after meeting,) but soon rose again; and
in a little time lay down again, complaining still of cold.
And his strength sensibly decaying, he was soon obliged to
go into bed; where he lay in much contentment and peace,
and very sensible to the last.
And as, in the whole course of his life, his spirit, in the
universal love of God, was bent upon the exalting of truth
and righteousness, and the making known the way thereof
506to the nations and people afar off; so now, in the time of
his outward weakness, his mind was intent upon, and (as it
were) wholly taken up with that; and some particular
Friends he sent for, to whom he expressed his mind and
desire for the spreading of Friends’ books, and truth thereby
in the world. Divers Friends came to visit him in his
illness; to some of whom he said, “All is well; the Seed
of God reigns over all, and over death itself. And though,”
said he, “I am weak in body, yet the power of God is over
all, and the Seed reigns over all disorderly spirits.”
Thus lying in a heavenly frame of mind, his spirit
wholly exercised towards the Lord, he grew weaker and
weaker in his natural strength; and on the third day of the
week, between the hours of nine and ten in the evening, he
quietly departed this life in peace, and sweetly fell asleep in
the Lord, whose blessed truth he had livingly and powerfully
preached in the meeting but two days before. Thus
ended he his day in his faithful testimony, in perfect love
and unity with his brethren, and in peace and good-will to
all men, on the 13th of the 11th Month [old style], 1690,
being in the 67th year of his age.
After the death of George Fox, an epistle was found
written with his own hand, and left sealed up, with this
superscription; “Not to be opened before the time”; that is,
not till after his decease. When it was opened, it was found
to be addressed to Friends, and to all the Children of God,
in all places in the world. It was afterwards printed, and is
inserted in the Appendix to this Journal.
On the day appointed for the interment of George Fox,
a very great concourse of Friends, and others, assembled at
the meeting-house in White-Hart-Court, near Gracechurch
Street, about the middle of the day, to attend his body to the
grave. The meeting held about two hours with great and
heavenly solemnity, manifestly attended with the Lord’s
blessed presence and glorious power; in which divers living
testimonies were given, from a lively remembrance and sense
507of the blessed ministry of this dear and ancient servant of
the Lord, his early entering into the Lord’s work at the
breaking forth of this gospel-day, his innocent life, long and
great travels, and unwearied labours of love in the everlasting
gospel, for the turning and gathering of many thousands
from darkness to the light of Christ Jesus, the foundation
of true faith; the manifold sufferings, afflictions, and
oppositions, which he met withal for his faithful testimony,
both from his open adversaries, and from false brethren; and
his preservations, deliverances, and dominion in, out of, and
over them all, by the power of God; to whom the glory and
honour always was by him, and is, and always ought to be
by all, ascribed.
After the meeting was ended, his body was borne by
Friends, and accompanied by very great numbers, to Friends’
burying-ground, near Bunhill-Fields; where, after a solemn
waiting upon the Lord, and several living testimonies borne,
recommending the company to the guidance and protection
of that Divine Spirit and power, by which this holy man of
God had been raised up, furnished, supported, and preserved,
to the end of his day, his body was committed to the earth;
but his memorial shall remain, and be everlastingly blessed
among the righteous.
APPENDIX; — TESTIMONY OF MARGARET FOX, CONCERNING HER LATE HUSBAND GEORGE FOX; — TESTIMONY OF SOME OF THE AUTHOR’S RELATIONS. — AN EPISTLE BY WAY OF TESTIMONY, — THOMAS ELLWOOD’S ACCOUNT OF THAT EMINENT AND HONOURABLE SERVANT OF THE LORD, GEORGE FOX. [65] — AN EPISTLE OF GEORGE FOX’S, — THE APPEARANCE OF THE LORD’S EVERLASTING TRUTH, — A CHRONOLOGICAL REGISTER OF THE PLACES VISITED BY THE AUTHOR.
509
CONTAINING
TESTIMONY OF MARGARET FOX RESPECTING HER HUSBAND GEORGE FOX.
TESTIMONY OF SOME OF THE AUTHOR’S RELATIONS.
TESTIMONY FROM THE MORNING MEETING IN LONDON.
TESTIMONY OF THOMAS ELLWOOD.
AN EPISTLE OF GEORGE FOX, FOUND AFTER HIS DEATH SEALED UP,
ADDRESSED TO THE CHILDREN OF GOD EVERYWHERE.
THE APPEARANCE OF THE LORD’S EVERLASTING TRUTH, AND ITS BREAKING
FORTH AGAIN IN HIS ETERNAL POWER, IN THIS OUR DAY AND AGE, IN
ENGLAND.
A CHRONOLOGICAL REGISTER OF THE PLACES VISITED BY THE AUTHOR.
TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE OCCURRING IN THIS JOURNAL.
PARTICULARS OF THE VARIOUS EDITIONS OF GEORGE FOX’S JOURNAL, ETC.
511
WITH A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF SOME OF HIS TRAVELS, SUFFERINGS, AND
HARDSHIPS ENDURED FOR THE TRUTH’S SAKE.
It having pleased Almighty God to take away my dear husband out of
this evil, troublesome world, who was not a man thereof, being chosen
out of it; who had his life and being in another region, and whose
testimony was against the world, that the deeds thereof were evil, and
therefore the world hated him: so I am now to give in my account
and testimony for him, whom the Lord hath taken unto his blessed
kingdom and glory. And it is before me from the Lord, and in my
view, to give a relation, and leave upon record the dealings of the Lord
with us from the beginning.
He was the instrument in the hand of the Lord in this present age,
which he made use of to send forth into the world, to preach the everlasting
gospel, which had been hid from many ages and generations;
the Lord revealed it unto him, and made him open that new and living
way, that leads to life eternal, when he was but a youth, and a stripling.
And when he declared it in his own country of Leicestershire, and in
Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Warwickshire, his declaration being
against the hireling priests and their practices, it raised a great fury and
opposition amongst the priests and people against him; yet there were
always some that owned him in several places; but very few that stood
firm to him when persecution came on him. He and one other were
put in prison at Derby, but the other declined, and left him in prison
there, where he continued almost a whole year; and when he was released
out of prison, he went on with his testimony abroad, and was put
in prison again at Nottingham; and there he continued a while, and
after was released again.
He then travelled on into Yorkshire, and passed up and down that
great county, and several received him, as William Dewsbury, Richard
Farnsworth, Thomas Aldam, and others, who all came to be faithful
ministers of the Spirit for the Lord. He continued in that country, and
512travelled through Holderness and the Wolds, and abundance were convinced:
and several were brought to prison at York for their testimony
to the truth, both men and women: so that we heard of such a people
that were risen, and we did very much inquire after them. And after
a while he travelled up farther towards the Dales in Yorkshire, as
Wensleydale, and Sedbergh; and amongst the hills, dales, and mountains
he came on, and convinced many of the eternal Truth.
In the year 1652 it pleased the Lord to draw him towards us; so he
came on from Sedbergh, and so to Westmorland, as Firbank Chapel,
where John Blakelin came with him; and so on to Preston, Grayrigg,
Kendal, Underbarrow, Poolbank, Cartmel, and Stavely; and so on to
Swarthmore, my dwelling-house whither he brought the blessed tidings
of the everlasting gospel, which I, and many hundreds in these parts,
have cause to praise the Lord for. My then husband, Thomas Fell, was
not at home at that time, but gone to the Welsh circuit, being one of the
judges of assize; and our house being a place open to entertain ministers
and religious people at, one of George Fox’s friends brought him hither,
where he stayed all night.
The next day being a lecture, or a fast-day, he went to Ulverstone
steeple-house, but came not in till people were gathered; I and my
children had been a long time there before. And when they were singing
before the sermon, he came in; and when they had done singing,
he stood up upon a seat or form, and desired that he might have liberty
to speak; and he that was in the pulpit said he might. And the first
words that he spoke were as followeth: “He is not a Jew that is one
outward; neither is that circumcision which is outward; but he is a
Jew that is one inward; and that is circumcision which is of the heart.”
And so he went on, and said, how that Christ was the Light of the
world, and lighteth every man that cometh into the world; and that by
this light they might be gathered to God, &c. I stood up in my pew
and wondered at his doctrine; for I had never heard such before. And
then he went on, and opened the Scriptures, and said, “the Scriptures
were the prophets’ words, and Christ’s and the apostles’ words, and what,
as they spoke, they enjoyed and possessed, and had it from the Lord:”
and said, “then what had any to do with the Scriptures, but as they
came to the Spirit that gave them forth? You will say, Christ saith
this, and the apostles say this; but what canst thou say? Art thou a
child of Light, and hast thou walked in the Light, and what thou speakest,
is it inwardly from God?” &c. This opened me so, that it cut me to the
heart; and then I saw clearly we were all wrong. So I sat down in my
pew again, and cried bitterly: and I cried in my spirit, to the Lord, “We
are all thieves; we are all thieves; we have taken the Scriptures in
words, and know nothing of them in ourselves.” So that served me,
that I cannot well tell what he spoke afterwards; but he went on in declaring
against the false prophets, and priests, and deceivers of the people.
513And there was one John Sawrey, a justice of peace, and a professor,
that bid the churchwarden take him away; and he laid his hands on him
several times, and took them off again, and let him alone; and then
after a while he gave over, and came to our house again that night.
And he spoke in the family amongst the servants, and they were all
generally convinced; as William Caton, Thomas Salthouse, Mary Askew,
Anne Clayton, and several other servants. And I was struck into such
a sadness, I knew not what to do, my husband being from home. I
saw it was the truth, and I could not deny it; and I did as the apostle
saith, “I received the truth in the love of it:” and it was opened to me
so clear, that I had never a tittle in my heart against it; but I desired
the Lord that I might be kept in it; and then I desired no greater portion.
Then he went on to Dalton, Aldingham, Dendron, and Rampside
chapels and steeple-houses, and several places up and down, and the
people followed him mightily; and abundance were convinced, and saw
that what he spoke was truth; but the priests were all in a rage. About
two weeks after, James Naylor and Richard Farnsworth followed him,
and inquired him out, till they came to Swarthmore, and there stayed a
while with me at our house, and did me much good, for I was under
great heaviness and judgment. But the power of the Lord entered upon
me within about two weeks that he came; and about three weeks’ end
my husband came home; and many were in a mighty rage. And a
deal of the captains and great ones of the country went to meet my then
husband as he was coming home, and informed him “that a great
disaster was befallen amongst his family, and that they were witches;
and that they had taken us out of our religion: and that he might either
set them away, or all the country would be undone.” But no weapon
formed against the Lord shall prosper, as you may see hereafter.
So my husband came home greatly offended: and any may think what a
condition I was like to be in, that either I must displease my husband,
or offend God; for he was very much troubled with us all in the house
and family, they had so prepossessed him against us. But James
Naylor and Richard Farnsworth were both then at our house, and I
desired them to come and speak to him, and so they did, very moderately
and wisely; but he was at first displeased with them, till they told him
they came in love and goodwill to his house. And after that he had
heard them speak a while, he was better satisfied; and they offered as
if they would go away; but I desired them to stay, and not to go away
yet, for George Fox will come this evening. And I would have had my
husband to have heard them all, and satisfied himself farther about them:
because they had so prepossessed him against them of such dangerous,
fearful things, in his coming first home. And then he was pretty
moderate and quiet; and his dinner being ready, he went to it; and I
went in, and sat me down by him. And whilst I was sitting, the power
514of the Lord seized upon me: and he was struck with amazement, and
knew not what to think; but was quiet and still. And the children
were all quiet and still, and grown sober, and could not play on their
music that they were learning: and all these things made him quiet and
still.
At night George Fox came: and after supper my husband was
sitting in the parlour, and I asked him, if George Fox might come in;
and he said, Yes. So George came in without any compliment, and
walked into the room, and began to speak presently; and the family,
and James Naylor, and Richard Farnsworth came all in: and he spoke
very excellently as ever I heard him, and opened Christ’s and the apostles’
practices, which they were in, in their day. And he opened the night
of apostasy since the apostles’ days, and laid open the priests and their
practices in the apostasy; that if all England had been there, I thought
they could not have denied the truth of those things. And so my husband
came to see clearly the truth of what he spoke, and was very quiet
that night, said no more and went to bed.
The next morning came Lampitt, priest of Ulverstone, and got my
husband into the garden, and spoke much to him there; but my husband
had seen so much the night before, that the priest got little entrance
upon him. And when the priest Lampitt was come into the house,
George spoke sharply to him, and asked him “when God spoke to him,
and called him to go and preach to the people?” but after a while the
priest went away: this was on a Sixth day of the week, about the Fifth
month, 1652. And at our house divers Friends were speaking one to
another, how there were several convinced hereaways; and we could
not tell where to get a meeting; my husband also being present, he overheard,
and said of his own accord, “You may meet here, if you will;” and
that was the first meeting we had that he offered of his own accord.
And then notice was given that day and the next to Friends, and there
was a good large meeting on the day’day’, which was the first meeting that
was at Swarthmore; and so continued there a meeting from 1652 till
1690. And my husband went that day to the steeple-house, and none
with him but his clerk and his groom that rode with him; and the priest
and people were all fearfully troubled: but praised be the Lord, they
never got their wills upon us to this day.
After a few weeks George went to Ulverstone steeple-house again,
and the said Justice Sawrey, with others, set the rude rabble upon him;
and they beat him so that he fell down as in a swoon, and was sore
bruised and blackened in his body, and on his head and arms. Then my
husband was not at home; but when he came home he was displeased
that they should do so; and spoke to Justice Sawrey, and said it was
against law to make riots. And after that he was sore beat and stoned
at Walney till he fell down; and also at Dalton was he sore beat and
abused; so that he had very hard usage in divers places in those parts.
515And then when a meeting was settled there, he went again into Westmorland,
and settled meetings there; and there was a great convincement,
and abundance of brave ministers came out thereaways, as John
Camm, John Audland, Francis Howgill, Edward Burrough, Miles Halhead,
and John Blakelin, with divers others. He also went over the
sands to Lancaster, and Yealand, and Kellet, where Robert Widders,
Richard Hubberthorn, and John Lawson, with many others, were convinced.
And about that time he was in those parts, many priests and
professors rose up, and falsely accused him of blasphemy, and did endeavour
to take away his life; and got people to swear at a sessions at
Lancaster that he had spoken blasphemy. But my then husband and
Colonel West, having had some sight and knowledge of the truth, withstood
the two persecuting justices, John Sawrey and Thompson, and
brought him off, and cleared him; for indeed he was innocent. And
after the sessions there was a great meeting in the town of Lancaster;
and many of the town’s-people came in, and many were convinced.
And thus he was up and down about Lancaster, Yealand, Westmorland,
and some parts of Yorkshire, and our parts above one year; in which
time there were above twenty-four ministers brought forth, that were
ready to go with their testimony of the Eternal Truth unto the world;
and soon after Francis Howgill and John Camm went to speak to Oliver
Cromwell.
In the year 1653, George’s drawings were into Cumberland, by Millom,
Lamplugh, Embleton, and Brigham, Pardshaw and Cockermouth, where
at or near Embleton he had a dispute with some priests, as Larkham
and Benson; but chiefly with John Wilkinson, a preacher at Embleton
and Brigham, who was afterwards convinced, and owned the Truth, and
was a serviceable minister both in England, Ireland, and Scotland. Then
he went to Coldbeck and several places, till he came to Carlisle,
and went to their steeple-house; there they beat and abused him, and
had him before the magistrates, who examined him, and put him in
prison in the common jail among the thieves. At the assizes was one
Anthony Pearson, who had been a justice of peace, and was convinced
at Appleby (when he was upon the bench) by James Naylor and
Francis Howgill, who were then prisoners there, and brought before him;
so Anthony Pearson spoke to the justices at Carlisle, he being acquainted
with them, having married his wife out of Cumberland; and
after a while they released him. Afterwards he went into several parts
of Cumberland, and many were convinced, and owned the Truth; and
he gathered and settled meetings there amongst them, and up and down
in several parts in the North.
In the year 1654, he went southward to his own country of Leicestershire,
visiting Friends. And then Colonel Hacker sent him to Oliver
Cromwell; and after having been kept prisoner a while, he was brought
before Oliver, and released. He then stayed a while, visiting Friends
516in London, and the meetings therein; and so passed westward to Bristol
and visited Friends there. He afterwards went into Cornwall, where
they put him in prison at Launceston, and one Edward Pyot with him,
where he had a bad, long imprisonment. When he was released, he passed
into many parts of that county of Cornwall, and settled meetings there.
Then he travelled through many counties, visiting Friends and settling
meetings all along; and so came into the North, and to Swarthmore,
and to Cumberland.
And so for Scotland he passed in the year 1657, and there went with him
Robert Widders, James Lancaster, John Grave, and others. He travelled
through many places in that nation, as Douglas, Heads, Hamilton, Glasgow,
and to Edinburgh, where they took him, and carried him before
General Monk and the council, and examined him, and asked him his
business into that nation; who answered, he came to visit the seed of
God. And after they had threatened him, and charged him to depart
their nation of Scotland, they let him go. Then he went to Linlithgow,
and Stirling, and Johnstone, and many places, visiting the people; and
several were convinced. And after he had stayed a pretty while, and
settled some meetings, he returned into Northumberland, and into the
bishopric of Durham, visiting Friends and settling meetings as he went;
and then returned back again to Swarthmore, and stayed amongst
Friends a while, and so returned south again. In 1658, Judge Fell
died.
In 1660 he came out of the South into the North, and had a great
general meeting about Balby in Yorkshire; and so came on, visiting
Friends in many places, till he came to Swarthmore again. And King
Charles then being come in, the justices sent out warrants, and took him
at Swarthmore, charging him in their warrants, that he drew away the
king’s liege people, to the endangering the embruing the nation in
blood; and sent him prisoner to Lancaster castle. And I having a
great family, and he being taken in my house, I was moved of the Lord
to go to the king at Whitehall; and took with me a declaration, and an
information of our principles, and a long time, and much ado I had, to
get to him. But at last, when I got to him, I told him if he was guilty
of those things, I was guilty, for he was taken in my house; and I gave
him the paper of our principles, and desired that he would set him at
liberty, as he had promised that none should suffer for tender consciences;
and we were of tender consciences, and desired nothing but
the liberty of our consciences. Then with much ado, after he had been
kept prisoner near half a year at Lancaster, we got a habeas corpus, and
removed him to the king’s bench, where he was released. And then
would I gladly have come home to my great family, but was bound in
my spirit, and could not have freedom to get away for a whole year.
The king had promised me several times that we should have our
liberty, but then the Monarchy-men rose; and then came the great and
517general imprisonment of Friends the nation through; and so could I not
have freedom nor liberty to come home, till we had got a general proclamation
for all our Friends’ liberty. Then I had freedom and peace
to come home.
In 1663 he came North again, and to Swarthmore. Then they sent
out warrants, and took him again; and had him to Holker before the
justices, who tendered him the oath of allegiance, and sent him prisoner
to Lancaster castle. And about a month after, the justices sent for me
also out of my house, and tendered me the oath, and sent me prisoner
to Lancaster. And the next assizes they again tendered the oath of
allegiance and supremacy to us both, and premunired me; but they had
missed the date, and other things in the indictment, and so it was
quashed; but they tendered him the oath again, and kept him prisoner
a year and a half at Lancaster castle. And then they sent him to
Scarbro’ castle in Yorkshire, where they kept him prisoner close under
the soldiers much of a year and a half, so that a Friend could scarcely
have spoken to him; yet after that, it pleased the Lord that he was released;
but I continued in prison, and a prisoner four years at that time;
and an order was procured from the council, whereby I was set at
liberty. And in that time I went down into Cornwall with my son and
daughter Lower, and came back by London to the Yearly Meeting; and
there I met with him again; and then he told me the time was drawing
on towards our marriage, but he might first go into Ireland. And a
little before this time was he prisoner in his own country at Leicester
for a while, and then released. So into Ireland he went, and I went
into Kent and Sussex, and came back to London again; and afterwards
I went to the West, towards Bristol, in 1669, and there I stayed till he
came over from Ireland, which was eleven years after my former husband’s
decease. In Ireland he had had a great service for the Lord and
his eternal truth, amongst Friends and many people there, but escaped
many dangers, and times of being taken prisoner, they having laid in
wait aforehand for him in many places. And then he being returned,
at Bristol he declared his intentions of marriage; and there also was our
marriage solemnized. Within ten days after I came homewards, but
my husband stayed up and down in the countries amongst Friends,
visiting them.
Soon after I came home, there came another order from the council
to cast me into prison again; and the sheriff of Lancashire sent his
bailiff, and pulled me out of my own house, and had me prisoner to
Lancaster castle (upon the old premunire), where I continued a whole
year, and most part of that time was I sick and weakly; my husband
also was weak and sickly at that time. After a while he recovered, and
went about to get me out of prison, and a discharge at last was got
under the great seal; and so I was set at liberty. Then I was to go up
to London again, for my husband was intending for America. He was
518full two years away, before he came back again into England; and
having arrived at Bristol, he came thence to London, intending to come
to the middle of the nation with me; but when we came into some parts
of Worcestershire, they got there information of him; and one Justice
Parker, by his warrant, sent him and my son Lower to Worcester jail.
The justices there tendered him the oath, and premunired him, but released
my son Lower, who stayed with him most of the time he was
prisoner there.
After some time he fell sick, in a long, lingering sickness, and many
times was very ill; so they writ to me from London, that if I would see
him alive, I might go to him; which accordingly I did. After I had
tarried seventeen weeks with him at Worcester, and no discharge likely
to be obtained for him, I went up to London, and wrote to the king an
account of his long imprisonment, and how he was taken in his travel
homewards, and that he was weak and sick, and not likely to live if
they kept him long there. I went with it to Whitehall myself, where
I met with the king and gave him the paper; and he said, I must go to
the chancellor, he could do nothing in it. Then I wrote also to the lord
chancellor, and went to his house, gave him my paper, and spoke to
him, that the king had left it wholly to him; and if he did not take pity
and release him out of that prison, I feared he would end his days there.
The Lord Chancellor Finch was a very tender man, and spoke to the
judge, who gave out an habeas corpus presently. When we got it we
sent it down to Worcester, and they would not part with him at first,
but said he was premunired, and was not to go out on that manner.
Then we were forced to go to Judge North, and to the attorney-general,
and we got another order, and sent down from them; and with much
ado, and great labour and industry of William Mead and other friends,
we got him up to London, where he appeared in Westminster Hall at
the king’s bench, before Judge Hale, who was a very honest, tender
man; and he knew they had imprisoned him but in envy. So that
which they had against him was read, and our counsel pleaded that he
was taken up in his travel and journey. And there was but a little said
till he was acquitted. This was the last prison that he was in, being
freed by the court of king’s bench.
When he was at liberty he recovered again; and then I was very
desirous to go home with him, which we did. This was the first time that
he came to Swarthmore after we were married; and he stayed here
much of two years, and then went to London again to the Yearly Meeting;
and after a while went into Holland, and some parts of Germany,
where he stayed a pretty while, and then returned to London again at
the next Yearly Meeting. And after he had stayed a while in and
about London, he came into the North to Swarthmore again, and stayed
that time near two years; and then he grew weakly, being troubled
with pains and aches, having had many sore and long travels, beatings,
519and hard imprisonments. But after some time he rode to York, and so
passed on through Nottinghamshire and several counties, visiting Friends,
till he came to London to the Yearly Meeting, and stayed there, and
thereaways, till he finished his course, and laid down his head in peace.
And though the Lord had provided an outward habitation for him,
yet he was not willing to stay at it, because it was so remote and far
from London, where his service most lay. And my concern for God,
and his holy eternal truth, was then in the North, where God had placed
and set me, and likewise for the ordering and governing of my children
and family; so that we were very willing both of us, to live apart
for some years on God’s account, and his truth’s service, and to deny ourselves
of that comfort which we might have had in being together, for
the sake and service of the Lord and his truth. And if any took occasion,
or judged hard of us because of that, the Lord will judge them; for
we were innocent. And for my own part, I was willing to take many
long journeys, for taking away all occasion of evil thoughts; and
though I lived two hundred miles from London, yet have I been nine
times there, upon the Lord and his truth’s account; and of all the times
that I was at London, this last was most comfortable, that the Lord was
pleased to give me strength and ability to travel that great journey,
being seventy-six years of age, to see my dear husband, who was better
in his health and strength than many times I had seen him before. I
look upon it, that the Lord’s special hand was in it, that I should go
then, for he lived but about half a year after I left him; which makes
me admire the wisdom and goodness of God, in ordering my journey at
that time.
And now he hath finished his course, and his testimony, and is
entered into his eternal rest and felicity. I trust in the same powerful
God, that his holy arm and power will carry me through, whatever he
hath yet for me to do; and that he will be my strength and support,
and the bearer up of my head unto the end, and in the end. For I
know his faithfulness and goodness, and I have experience of his love;
to whom be glory and powerful dominion for ever. Amen.
M.F.
Neither days nor length of time with us can wear out the memory of
our dear and honoured father, George Fox, whom the Lord hath taken
to himself. And though his earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved,
and mortality put off, yet we believe he has a “building with God
eternally in the heavens, and is entered into rest,” as a reward to those
great labours, hard sufferings, and sore trials he patiently endured for
520God and his truth. Of which truth he was made an able minister, and
one, if not the first promulgator of it in our age; who, though of no
great literature, nor seeming much learned, as to the outward (being
hid from the wisdom of this world), yet he had the tongue of the
learned, and could speak a word in due season to the conditions and
capacities of most, especially to them that were weary, and wanted
soul’s rest; being deep in the divine mysteries of the kingdom of God.
And the word of life and salvation through him reached unto many
souls, whereby many were convinced of their great duty of inward
retiring to wait upon God; and as they became diligent in the performance
of that service, were also raised up to be preachers of the same
everlasting gospel of peace and glad tidings to others; who are as seals
to his ministry both in this and other nations, and may possibly give a
more full account thereof. Howbeit we knowing his unwearied
diligence, not sparing, but spending himself in the work and service
whereunto he was chosen and called of God, could not but give this
short testimony of his faithfulness therein, and likewise of his tender
love and care towards us; who, as a tender father to his children (in
which capacity we stood, being so related to him), never failed to give
us his wholesome counsel and advice.
And not only so, but, as a father in Christ, he took care of the whole
family and household of faith, which the Lord had made him an eminent
overseer of, and endued him with an excellent spirit of wisdom and
understanding, to propose and direct such helps and advantages to the
well-ordering and establishing of affairs and government in the church,
as now are found very serviceable thereunto; and have greatly disappointed
and prevented the false, loose, and libertine spirit of some
who, to their own confusion, have endeavoured, by separation and
division, to disturb the church’s peace. And although many of that
sort have at sundry times shot their poisonous darts at him, publicly in
print, and privately other ways, yet he has been always preserved by
the heavenly power of God, out of the reach of their envy, and all
perils and difficulties that attended on their account; who, as a fixed
star in the firmament of God’s power, did constantly abide, and held
his integrity to the last, being of a sweet, savoury life; and as to conversation,
kept his garments clean: and though outwardly dead, yet
he liveth, and his memory is right precious unto us; as it is and will
be to all that abide in the love of truth, and have not declined the way
of it. For he was one of the Lord’s worthies, valiant for the truth upon
earth, not turning his back in the day of battle; but his bow still
abiding in its strength, he, through many hardships, brought gladness
and refreshment to Israel’s camp, being assisted by the might of that
power that always put the armies of aliens and enemies to flight. And
now having finished his course, he is removed from us into a glorious
state of immortality and bliss, and is gathered unto the Lord as a shock
521of corn in its full season, and to that habitation of safety where the
wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest.
John Rous,
Margaret Rous,
William Mead,
Sarah Mead,
Thomas Lower,
Mary Lower,
William Ingram,
Susanna Ingram,
Daniel Abraham,
Rachel Abraham,
Abraham Morrice,
Isabel Morrice.
TO FRIENDS AND BRETHREN OF THE MONTHLY AND QUARTERLY MEETINGS
IN ENGLAND, WALES, AND ELSEWHERE, CONCERNING THE DECEASE
OF OUR FAITHFUL BROTHER, GEORGE FOX.
From our Second-day’s Morning-Meeting in London, the 26th of 11th Month, 1690.
Dear and truly beloved friends, brethren and sisters in Christ Jesus,
our blessed Lord and Saviour, we sincerely and tenderly salute you all
in his free and tender love wherewith he hath graciously visited us, and
largely shed it abroad in our hearts and souls, to our own unspeakable
comfort and consolation, and towards his whole heritage and royal offspring;
blessed be his pure and powerful name forevermore. And our
souls do truly and fervently desire, and breathe unto the God of all our
mercies, that you all may be preserved, and kept truly faithful and
diligent in his work and service, according to your heavenly calling and
endowments with his light, grace, and truth, unto the end of your days;
as being livingly engaged thereby all your appointed time to serve him,
and to wait till your change come; that none may neglect that true
improvement of your times and talents, that God has afforded you
here, for your eternal advantage hereafter, in that inheritance and life
immortal that never fades away. And that the whole flock and heritage
of Christ Jesus, which he has purchased and bought for himself with a
price incorruptible, may always be so preserved in his own pure love and
life, as to grow, increase, and prosper in the same; and thereby be kept
in love, unity, and peace with one another, as becomes his faithful and
true followers, is that which our very hearts and souls desire, being
often truly comforted and enlarged in the living sense and feeling of
the increase and aboundings thereof, among faithful friends and
brethren.
And, dear brethren and sisters, unto this our tender salutation we are
concerned, in brotherly love and true tender-heartedness, to add and
impart unto you some account of the decease of our dear and elder
brother in Christ, namely, His and His church’s true and faithful servant
522and minister, George Fox; whom it hath pleased the Lord to take unto
himself, as he hath divers others of his faithful servants and ministers
of late time; who have faithfully served out their generation, and
finished their testimony and course with joy and peace. Howbeit, O
dear brethren and friends! that so many worthies in Israel, and serviceable
instruments in the Lord’s hand, are of late taken away and
removed from us so soon one after another, appears a dispensation that
deeply and sorrowfully affects us, and many more whose hearts are
upright and tender towards God, and one to another in the truth. The
consideration of the depth, weight, and meaning thereof is very
weighty upon our spirits, though their precious life and testimony live
with us, as being of that same body, united to one head, even Christ
Jesus; in which we still, and hope ever shall, have secret comfort and
union with them, whom the Lord has removed and taken to himself,
out of their earthly tabernacles and houses into, their heavenly and everlasting
mansions.
This our said dear brother, George Fox, was enabled, by the Lord’s
power, to preach the truth fully and effectually in our public meeting in
White-Hart Court, by Gracechurch Street, London, on the 11th day of
this instant 11th month, 1690: after which he said, “I am glad I was
here; now I am clear, I am fully clear.” Then he was the same day
taken with some illness or indisposition of body more than usual; and
continued weak in body for two days after, at our friend Henry Goldney’s
house, in the same court, close by the meeting-house, in much contentment
and peace, and very sensible to the last. In which time he
mentioned some divers Friends, and sent for some in particular; to
whom he expressed his mind for the spreading of Friends’ books and
truth in the world, and through the nations thereof; as his spirit in the
Lord’s love and power was universally set and bent for truth and
righteousness, and the making known the way thereof to the nations
and people afar off: signifying also to some Friends, “That all is well;
and the Seed of God reigns over all, and over death itself: that though
he was weak in body, yet that the power of God is over all, and the
Seed reigns over all disorderly spirits;” which were his wonted sensible
expressions, being in the living faith and sense thereof, which he kept
to the end. And on the 13th instant, between the ninth and tenth hour
in the night, he quietly departed this life in peace; being two days
after the Lord enabled him to publish and preach the blessed truth in
the meeting as aforesaid. So that he clearly and evidently ended his
days in his faithful testimony, in perfect love and unity with his
brethren, and peace and good-will to all men; being about sixty and six
years of age (as we understand) when he departed this life.
And on the 16th of this instant, being the day appointed for his
funeral, a very great concourse of Friends and people assembled at our
meeting-house in White-Hart Court aforesaid, about the mid-day, in
523order to attend his body to our burying-place, near Bunhill-Fields, to
be interred, as Friends’ last office of love and respect due on that
account. The meeting was held about two hours, with great and
heavenly solemnity, manifestly attended with the Lord’s blessed power
and presence; and divers living testimonies given, from a lively
remembrance and sense of this his dear ancient servant, his blessed
ministry and testimony of the breaking forth of this gospel-day; his
innocent life, long and great travels, and labours of love in the everlasting
gospel, for the turning and gathering many thousands from
darkness to the light of Christ Jesus, the foundation of true faith;
also of his manifold sufferings, afflictions, and oppositions, which he
met withal for his faithful testimony, both from his open adversaries
and false brethren; and his preservations, dominion, and deliverances
out of them all by the power of God; to whom the glory and honour
was and is ascribed, in raising up and preserving this his faithful witness
and minister to the end of his days; whose blessed memorial will
everlastingly remain.
He loved truth and righteousness, and bore faithful testimony against
deceit and falsehood, and the mystery of iniquity; and often, of late
time especially, warned Friends against covetousness, earthly-mindedness,
against getting into the earth, and into a brittle spirit; and the
younger sort, against looseness and pride of life, &c.
A few days before he died, he had a great concern upon his mind
concerning some in whom the Lord’s power was working, to lead them
into a ministry and testimony to his truth; who, through their too much
entangling themselves in the things of this world, did make themselves
unready to answer the call and leadings of the power of God, and
hurt the gift that was bestowed upon them, and did not take that regard
to their service and ministry as they ought; and mentioned the apostle’s
exhortation to Timothy, to “take heed to his ministry, and to show
himself approved,” &c.: and expressed his grief concerning such as
preferred their own business before the Lord’s business, and sought the
advancing worldly concerns before the concerns of truth: and concluded
with a tender and fatherly exhortation to all to whom God had imparted
of his heavenly treasure, that they would improve it faithfully, and be
diligent in the Lord’s work, that the earth might be sown with the seed
of the kingdom, and God’s harvest might be minded by those whom he
had called and enabled to labour therein: and that such would commit
the care of their outward concerns to the Lord, who would care for
them, and give a blessing to them. However, this is not mentioned to
encourage any to run unsent, or without being called of God.
Many are living witnesses that the Lord raised him up by his power,
to proclaim his mighty day to the nations, and made him an effectual
instrument in our day to turn many from darkness to light, and from
Satan’s power to God; and freely to suffer and bear all reproaches, and
524the manifold persecutions, bufferings, halings, stonings, imprisonments,
and cruelties, that were in the beginning, and for some time inflicted
on him and others, for the name of Christ Jesus. He was in his testimony
as a fixed star in the firmament of God’s power, where all that
be truly wise, and that turn many to righteousness, shall shine as the
brightness of the firmament, and as the stars, for ever and ever. He
knew and preached the mystery of Christ revealed, the life and substance,
and the power of godliness, above all shadows and forms. The
Lord endued him with a hidden wisdom and life. He loved peace, and
earnestly laboured for universal love, unity, peace, and good order in
the churches of Christ; and wherever he met with the contrary, it was
his great grief and burthen. He was greatly for the encouragement of
faithful labourers in the Lord’s work; and it was a great offence and
grief to him to have their testimony weakened, or labours slighted,
through prejudice in any professing truth.
And inasmuch as the Lord suffered him not to be delivered up to the
will of his enemies and persecutors, who often heretofore breathed out
cruelty against him, and designed his destruction; but in his good
pleasure so fairly and quietly took him away in his own time, when his
testimony was so blessedly finished, and his work accomplished: this is
all remarkable, and worthy of serious and due observation, as being by
a special and Divine Providence and wisdom of God; to whom we
ascribe the glory of all, and not unto man or creatures. Though we
must needs allow, and own, that good report and due esteem, which
faithful elders, ministers, and servants of God and Christ have by faith
obtained, to the praise of that blessed Power, that upheld them in every
age in their day; many whereof are even of late taken away from the
evil to come, and are at rest in the Lord, out of the reach of all envy
and persecution, where the wicked cannot trouble them any more.
And we must patiently bear our parting with them, and our loss and
sorrow on that account, with respect to their unspeakable gain; yet
how can we avoid being deeply affected with sadness of spirit, and
brokenness of heart, under the sense and consideration of such loss and
revolutions, which we have cause to believe are ominous of calamities
to the wicked world, though of good to the righteous? Did the death
of plain upright Jacob, namely, Israel (who was as a prince of God), so
deeply affect both his own children and kindred, as that they made a
great and exceeding sore lamentation for him; and even the Egyptians
also, that they bewailed him seventy days? and the death of Moses so
deeply affect the children of Israel, as that they “did weep and mourn
for him in the plain of Moab thirty days?” and the death of Stephen,
that faithful martyr of Jesus, so deeply affect certain men, fearing God,
as “that they made great lamentation for him?” and the apostle Paul,
when taking his leave of the elders of the church of Ephesus, and
telling them, “they should see his face no more?” If this did so
525deeply affect them, that they “wept all abundantly, sorrowing most of
all for these words, that they should see his face no more;” with many
more of this kind; how then can we otherwise choose, but be deeply
affected with sorrow and sadness of heart, though not as those who
have no hope, when so many of our ancient, dear, and faithful brethren,
with whom we have had much sweet society, are removed from us one
after another? (We pray God raise up and increase more such!) Yet
must we all contentedly submit to the good pleasure and wisdom of the
Lord our God in all these things; who taketh away, and none can
hinder him, nor may any say unto him, What doest thou? Yet we
have cause to bless the Lord that he hath of late raised, and is raising
up, more to publish his name in the earth. And we that yet remain
have but a short time to stay after them that are gone; but we shall be
gone to them also. The Lord God of life keep us all faithful in his
holy truth, love, unity, and life, to the end. He hath a great work
still to bring forth in the earth, and great things to bring to pass, in
order to make way for truth and righteousness to take place therein;
and that his seed may come forth and be gathered, and the power and
kingdom of our God and of his Christ made known and exalted in the
earth, unto the ends thereof.
Dear Friends and brethren, be faithful till death, that a crown of life
you may obtain. All dwell in the love of God in Christ Jesus, in union
and peace in him; to whom we tenderly commit you to keep and
strengthen you, bless and preserve you, to the end of your days. In
whose dear and tender love we remain,
Your dear friends and brethren,
Stephen Crisp,
Nicholas Gates,
Daniel Monro,
Geo. Whitehead,
Francis Stamper,
John Heywood,
Fra. Camfield,
John Vaughton,
George Bowles,
James Park,
Gilbert Latey,
William Robinson,
John Elson,
Charles Marshall,
William Bingley,
Peter Price,
Rich. Needham,
John Butcher,
John Field,
James Martin,
Benjamin Antrobus.
John Edridge,
These names are since added, at the desire of the persons following:—
Amb. Rigg,
Sam. Goodaker,
William Fallowfield.
P.S.—Before his death he wrote a little paper, desiring all Friends,
everywhere, that used to write to him about the sufferings and affairs
of Friends in their several countries, should henceforth write to their
several correspondents in London, to be communicated to the Second-day’s
meeting, to take care that they be answered.
526
This holy man was raised up by God in an extraordinary manner, for
an extraordinary work, even to awaken the sleeping world, by proclaiming
the mighty day of the Lord to the nations, and publishing again the
everlasting gospel to the inhabitants of the earth, after the long and
dismal night of apostasy and darkness. For this work the Lord began
to prepare him by many and various trials and exercises from his very
childhood; and having fitted and furnished him for it, he called him
into it very young, and made him instrumental, by the effectual working
of the Holy Ghost, through his ministry, to call many others into the
same work, and to turn many thousands from darkness to the light of
Christ, and from the power of Satan unto God.
I knew him not till the year 1660; from that time to the time of
his death I knew him well, conversed with him often, observed him
much, loved him dearly, and honoured him truly; and upon good experience
can say, he was indeed a heavenly-minded man, zealous for the
name of the Lord, and preferred the honour of God before all things.
He was valiant for the truth, bold in asserting it, patient in suffering
for it, unwearied in labouring in it, steady in his testimony to it; immovable
as a rock. Deep he was in divine knowledge, clear in opening
heavenly mysteries, plain and powerful in preaching, fervent in prayer.
He was richly endued with heavenly wisdom, quick in discerning, sound
in judgment, able and ready in giving, discreet in keeping counsel; a
lover of righteousness, an encourager of virtue, justice, temperance,
meekness, purity, chastity, modesty, humility, charity, and self-denial
in all, both by word and example. Graceful he was in countenance,
manly in personage, grave in gesture, courteous in conversation, weighty
in communication, instructive in discourse, free from affectation in
speech or carriage; a severe reprover of hard and obstinate sinners; a
mild and gentle admonisher of such as were tender, and sensible of
their failings; not apt to resent personal wrongs; easy to forgive injuries;
but zealously earnest, where the honour of God, the prosperity
of truth, the peace of the church, were concerned; very tender, compassionate,
and pitiful he was to all that were under any sort of affliction;
full of brotherly love, full of fatherly care; for, indeed, the care of the
churches of Christ was daily upon him, the prosperity and peace whereof
he studiously sought. Beloved he was of God; beloved of God’s
people; and (which was not the least part of his honour) the common
butt of all apostates’ envy; whose good, notwithstanding, he earnestly
sought.
He lived to see the desire of his soul, the spreading of that blessed
principle of divine light, through many of the European nations, and
527not a few of the American islands and provinces, and the gathering
many thousands into an establishment therein; which the Lord vouchsafed
him the honour to be the first effectual publisher of, in this latter
age of the world. And having fought a good fight, finished his course,
and kept the faith, his righteous soul, freed from the earthly tabernacle,
in which he had led an exemplary life of holiness, was translated into
those heavenly mansions, where Christ our Lord went to prepare a place
for his; there to possess that glorious crown of righteousness, which is
laid up for, and shall be given by the Lord the righteous judge to all
them that love his appearance.
Ages to come and people yet unborn shall call him blessed, and
bless the Lord for raising him up. And blessed shall we also be, if we
so walk, as we had him for an example; for whom this Testimony lives
in my heart, “He lived and died the SERVANT of the Lord.”
T.E.
WRITTEN WITH HIS OWN HAND, AND LEFT SEALED UP WITH THIS SUPERSCRIPTION,
VIZ., “NOT TO BE OPENED BEFORE THE TIME;” WHICH
AFTER HIS DECEASE BEING OPENED, WAS THOUGHT MEET TO BE
PRINTED, VIZ.:—
“For the Yearly and Second-day’s Meeting in London, and to all the
Children of God in all places in the world.
By and from G.F.
“This for all the children of God everywhere, who are led by his
Spirit, and walk in his Light, in which they have life, unity, and
fellowship with the Father, and the Son, and one with another.
“Keep all your meetings in the name of the Lord Jesus, that be
gathered in his name by his Light, Grace, Truth, Power, and Spirit; by
which you will feel his blessed and refreshing presence among you, and
in you, to your comfort, and God’s glory.
“And now, Friends, all your meetings, both men’s and women’s,
monthly, quarterly, and yearly, &c., were set up by the power, and
Spirit, and wisdom of God: and in them you know, that you have felt
his power, and Spirit, and wisdom, and blessed refreshing presence
among you, and in you, to his praise and glory, and your comfort; so
that you have been ‘a city set on a hill, that cannot be hid.’
“And although many loose and unruly spirits have risen betimes to
oppose you and them, in print and other ways, you have seen how they
have come to nought. The Lord hath blasted them, brought their deeds
to light and made them manifest to be trees without fruit, wells without
water, wandering stars from the firmament of God’s power, and raging
waves of the sea, casting up their mire and dirt; and many of them
are like the dog turned to his old vomit, and the sow that was washed,
528turned again to the mire. This hath been the condition of many, God
knoweth, and his people!
“Therefore all stand steadfast in Christ Jesus, your Head, in whom
you are all one, male and female, and know His government, of the increase
of whose government and peace there shall be no end; but there
will be an end of the devil’s, and of all that are out of Christ, who oppose
it and him, whose judgment doth not linger, and their damnation
doth not slumber. Therefore in God and Christ’s light, life, Spirit, and
power, live and walk, that is over all (and the seed of it) in love, in innocency,
and simplicity. In righteousness and holiness dwell, and in
his power and Holy Ghost, in which God’s kingdom doth stand. All
children of New and Heavenly Jerusalem, that is from above, and is
free, with all her holy, spiritual children, to her keep your eyes.
“As for this spirit of rebellion and opposition, that hath risen
formerly and lately, it is out of the kingdom of God and Heavenly
Jerusalem; and is for judgment and condemnation, with all its books,
words, and works. Therefore Friends are to live and walk in the power
and Spirit of God, that is over it, and in the Seed, that will bruise and
break it to pieces. In which Seed you have joy and peace with God,
and power and authority to judge it; and your unity is in the power and
Spirit of God, that doth judge it: all God’s witnesses in his tabernacle
go out against it, and always have and will.
“Let no man live to self, but to the Lord, as they will die in him;
and seek the peace of the church of Christ, and the peace of all men in
him: for ‘blessed are the peace-makers.’ Dwell in the pure, peaceable,
heavenly wisdom of God, that is gentle, and easy to be entreated, that
is full of mercy; all striving to be of one mind, heart, soul, and judgment
in Christ, having His mind and Spirit dwelling in you, building up
one another in the love of God, which doth edify the body of Christ, his
church, who is the holy Head thereof. Glory to God through Christ, in
this age and all other ages, who is the Rock and Foundation, the
Emmanuel, God with us, Amen, over all, the Beginning and the Ending.
In Him live and walk, in whom you have life eternal; in whom you
will feel me, and I you.
“All children of New Jerusalem, that descends from above, the
holy city, which the Lord and the Lamb is the light of, and is the
temple; in it they are born again of the Spirit; so Jerusalem that is
above, is the mother of them that are born of the Spirit. They that
come, and are come to heavenly Jerusalem, receive Christ; and he
giveth them power to become the sons of God, and they are born again
of the Spirit; so Jerusalem that is above is their mother. Such come
to heavenly Mount Sion, and the innumerable company of angels, to the
spirits of just men made perfect; and to the church of the Living God
written in heaven, and have the name of God, and of the city of God,
529written upon them. So here is a new mother, that bringeth forth a
heavenly and spiritual generation.
“There is no schism, no division, no contention, nor strife, in
heavenly Jerusalem, nor in the body of Christ, which is made up of
living stones, a spiritual house. Christ is not divided, for in Him there
is peace. Christ saith, ‘In me you have peace.’ And He is from above,
and not of this world; but in the world below, in the spirit of it, there
is trouble: therefore keep in Christ, and walk in Him. Amen.
“Jerusalem was the mother of all true Christians before the
apostasy; and since the outward Christians are broken into many sects,
they have got many mothers: but all they that are come out of the
apostasy by the power and Spirit of Christ, Jerusalem that is above, is
their mother (and none below her), who doth nourish all her spiritual
children.”
G.F.
[This epistle was read at the Yearly Meeting in London, 1691.]
AND ITS BREAKING FORTH AGAIN IN HIS ETERNAL POWER, IN THIS OUR DAY AND AGE IN ENGLAND—
Wherein the Lord’s mighty power and word of life hath been richly
and freely preached, to the gathering of many into reconciliation with
God by it; to the exaltation and glory of the great God, through the
bringing forth of the heavenly and spiritual fruits, from such as have
been gathered by his eternal light, power, and Spirit, unto himself. And
by the sowing to the Spirit in the hearts of people, life eternal hath
been reaped; that the flocks have been gathered, which have the milk
of the word plenteously; that the riches of the word have flourished,
and mightily abounded; and God’s heavenly plough with his spiritual
men hath gone on cheerfully, to the overturning the fallow ground of
the hearts, that had not borne heavenly fruit to God. And God’s
heavenly thrashers with his heavenly flail, have with joy and delight
thrashed out the chaff, and the corruptions, that have been a-top of God’s
seed and wheat in man and woman. And thus have they thrashed in
hope, and are made partakers of their hope, through which God’s seed is
come into his garner.
O! the unutterable glory, and the inexpressible excellency of the
everlasting glorious truth, gospel, and word of life, that the infinite, invisible,
and wise God (who is over all), hath revealed and manifested!
And how have the professors, priests, and powers risen up in opposition
against his children, that are born of the immortal Seed by the word of
God! And, O! how great have the persecutions, and reproaches, and
spoiling of goods been, that have been executed upon them! But notwithstanding
530these sufferings from such as have touched them, and do
touch them, which are as dear to God as the apple of his eye, how hath
the Lord manifested himself to stand by them, in overthrowing powers,
priests, and states! What changes have there been since 1644, and
1650, and 1652! How have the jails been filled since then in this
nation with the heirs of life, God’s chosen ones, who had no helper in
the earth but the Lord and his Christ! So that truth’s faithful witnesses
were scarcely to be found, but in jails and prisons, where the righteous
were numbered among the transgressors; who had neither staff nor bag
from man, but the staff, the bread of life, and the bag that holds the
treasure that waxes not old. But the Lord Jesus Christ, that sent them
forth, was their exceeding great supporter and upholder by his eternal
power and Spirit, both then and now.
G.F.
531
1643.—[Vol. I.]
He leaves home and goes to
Lutterworth,
Northampton,
Newport-Pagnell.
1644.
Barnet,
London,
Returns home—goes to
Coventry,
Returns home—goes to
Mancetter.
1645 and 1646.
Tamworth,
Coventry and other places.
1647.
Derbyshire,
Leicestershire,
Nottinghamshire,
Lancashire,
Dukinfield,
Manchester,
Broughton.
1648.
Nottingham,
Mansfield,
Derbyshire,
Leicestershire,
Warwickshire,
Leicester,
Nottinghamshire,
Vale of Beavor,
Nottinghamshire,
Mansfield,
Eaton, near Derby,
Mansfield,
Nottingham,
Clawson, in Vale of Beavor.
1649.
Nottingham, imprisoned,
Mansfield-Woodhouse,
Leicestershire,
Barrow,
Bagworth,
Coventry,
Atherstone,
Market-Bosworth,
Leicestershire,
Twy-Cross,
Derbyshire,
Chesterfield,
Kidsey-Park.
1650.
Derby, imprisoned a year.
1651.
Leicestershire,
Burton-on-Trent,
Bushel-House,
Lichfield,
Nottinghamshire,
Mansfield,
Derbyshire,
Yorkshire,
Doncaster,
Balby,
Wakefield,
Selby,
Beverley,
Cranswick,
York,
Burraby,
Cleveland,
Staithes,
Whitby,
Scarbro’,
Malton,
Pickering,
The Moors,
Cranswick,
Holderness,
Oram [supposed Ottringham],
Patrington,
Hull,
Balby,
Nottinghamshire,
Lincolnshire,
Gainsbro’,
Yorkshire,
Warmsworth,
Balby,
Doncaster,
Tickhill,
Balby.
1652.
Wakefield,
Hightown,
Bradford,
Pendle-Hill,
Wensleydale,
Hawes,
Grisdale,
Dent,
Sedbergh,
Firbank Chapel,
Preston-Patrick,
Kendal,
Underbarrow,
Crook,
Newton in Cartmel,
Lyndale,
Ulverstone,
Swarthmore,
Aldingham,
Rampside,
Swarthmore,
Dalton,
Isle of Walney,
Swarthmore,
Baycliff,
Gleaston,
Swarthmore,
Westmorland,
Kendal,
Grisdale,
Swarthmore,
Underbarrow,
Kellet,
Lancaster,
Kendal,
Underbarrow,
Swarthmore,
Ulverstone,
Swarthmore,
Westmorland,
Crossland,
Lancashire,
Ulverstone,
Swarthmore,
Isle of Walney,
Cockan,
Swarthmore,
Yealand,
Lancaster,
Kellet,
Justice West’s,
Swarthmore,
Westmorland,
Grayrig,
Cartmel.
1653.
Swarthmore,
Gleaston,
Lancashire,
Swarthmore,
Arnside,
Cumberland,
Col. West’s,
Swarthmore,
Cumberland,
Bootle,
Nr. Cockermouth,
Millom-in-Bootle,
Cockermouth,
Brigham,
Coldbeck,
Carlisle, imprisoned,
Coldbeck,
Westmorland,
Strickland-Head,
Swarthmore,
Coldbeck,
Wigton,
Bishoprick,
Northumberland,
Derwent-Water,
Hexham,
Gilsland,
Cumberland,
Langlands,
532Brigham.
1654.
Swarthmore,
Lancaster,
Halifax,
T. Taylor’s (Brighouse),
Synderhill-Green
Yorkshire,
Holderness,
Thos. Taylor’s (Brighouse),
Balby,
Lincolnshire,
Derbyshire,
Nottinghamshire,
Skegby,
Kidsey-Park,
Peak Country,
Derbyshire,
Swannington,
Twy-Cross,
Warwickshire,
Drayton,
Swannington,
Leicester,
Whetstone,
Harborough,
London,
Theobald’s, near Waltham,
Whitehall,
Bedfordshire.
1655.
Luton (John Crook’s),
London,
Kent,
Rochester,
Cranbrook,
Rye,
Romney,
Dover,
Canterbury,
Cranbrook,
Sussex,
Horsham,
Steyning,
Reading,
London,
Essex,
Coggeshall,
Colchester,
Ipswich,
Mendlesham,
Norfolk,
Norwich,
Yarmouth,
Lynn,
Sutton, near Isle of Ely,
Cambridge,
Bishop-Stortford,
Hertford,
London,
Bedfordshire,
Northamptonshire,
Wellingborough,
Leicestershire,
Whetstone,
Sileby,
Drayton,
Baddesley,
Nottinghamshire,
Derbyshire,
Warwickshire,
Worcestershire,
Birmingham,
Chattan,
Evesham,
Worcester,
Tewkesbury,
Warwick,
Coventry,
Dun-Cow,
Leicestershire,
Baddesley,
Swannington,
Higham,
Northamptonshire,
Bedfordshire,
Baldock,
Market Street,
Alban’s,
London,
Ryegate,
Binscomb, in Godalming,
Horsham Park,
Arundel,
Chichester,
Portsmouth,
Ringwood,
Poole,
Southampton,
Dorchester,
Weymouth,
Honiton,
Topsham,
Totness,
Plymouth,
Cornwall,
Menheniot,
Penryn,
Helstone,
Market-Jew,
Ives, where he & Edward Pyot are taken into custody and imprisoned in Launceston jail about eight months.
1656.
Humphrey Lower’s,
Loveday Hambley’s,
Thos. Mounce’s,
Launceston,
Oakhampton,
Exeter,
Collumpton,
Taunton,
Puddimore,
J. Dander’s,
Bristol, E. Pyot’s,
Slaughterford,
N. Crisp’s,
Marlbro’,
Newbury,
Reading,
Kingston-on-Thames,
London,
Buckinghamshire,
Northamptonshire,
Notts,
Lincolnshire,
Huntingdonshire,
Cambridgeshire,
Fen Country,
Crowland,
Boston (Lincolnshire),
Yorkshire,
Holderness,
Leicestershire,
Staffordshire,
Worcestershire,
Warwickshire,
Edge-Hill,
Warwick,
Bagley,
Gloucestershire,
Oxford,
Col. Grimes’s,
Nat. Crisp’s,
Cirencester,
Evesham,
London,
Kent,
Sussex,
Surrey,
Farnham,
Basingstoke,
Bridport,
Portsmouth.
1657.
Poole,
Ringwood,
Weymouth,
Dorchester,
Lyme,
Exeter,
Bristol,
Wales,
The Slone,
Cardiff,
Swansea,
Brecknock,
Pontemoil,
Shrewsbury,
Wm. Gandy’s (Cheshire),
Wales,
Montgomeryshire,
Radnorshire,
Leominster,
Tenby,
Pembrokeshire,
Pembroke,
Haverford-west,
Dolgelly,
Caernarvon,
Beaumaris,
Near Wrexham,
Flintshire,
533Wrexham, and through every County in Wales,
West Chester,
Liverpool,
Richard Cubban’s,
Malpas,
Manchester,
Preston,
Lancaster,
Kellet,
Sands-Side,
Swarthmore,
Westmorland,
John Audland’s,
Kendal,
Strickland-Head,
Cumberland,
Gilsland,
Carlisle,
Abbey-Holm,
Langlands,
Pardshaw-Crag,
Scotland,
Dumfries,
Douglas,
Heads,
Badcow,
Highlands,
Heads,
Badcow,
Garshore,
Linlithgow,
Edinburgh,
Leith,
Edinburgh,
Heads,
Glasgow,
Badcow,
Highlands,
Stirling,
Burnt Island,
Johnstons,
Leith,
Edinburgh,
Johnstons,
Edinburgh,
Dunbar,
Berwick,
Morpeth,
Newcastle,
Northumberland,
Bishoprick,
City of Durham,
A. Pearson’s,
Cleveland,
Hull,
Pontefract,
G. Watkinson’s,
Scale-House,
Swarthmore,
Yorkshire,
Cheshire,
Derbyshire.
1658.
Nottinghamshire
Nottingham,
Warwickshire,
Northamptonshire,
Leicestershire,
Bedfordshire,
London,
Kingston,
Hampton-Court,
Kingston,
Isaac Penington’s
London,
Essex,
London,
Twickenham,
Reading.
1659.
London,
Essex,
Suffolk,
Norfolk,
Norwich,
Huntingdonshire,
Cambridgeshire,
London,
Surrey,
Sussex,
Hampshire,
Dorsetshire,
Ringwood,
Poole,
Dorchester,
Somersetshire,
Devonshire,
Plymouth,
Cornwall.
1660.
Land’s End,
Horse-Bridge,
Devonshire,
Somersetshire,
Bristol,
Olveston,
Nailsworth,
Nat. Crisp’s,
Gloucester,
Col. Grimes’s,
Tewkesbury,
Worcester,
Baddesley,
Drayton,
Twy-Cross,
Swannington,
Derbyshire,
Derby,
Nottinghamshire,
Synderhill-Green,
Yorkshire,
Balby,
Warmsworth,
Barton-Abbey,
Thos. Taylor’s (Brighthouse),
Skipton,
Lancaster,
R. Widder’s (Kellet),
Arnside,
Kellet,
Swarthmore, apprehended and imprisoned in Lancaster jail—an Habeas Corpus is sent down and he is liberated on parole—he visits
Swarthmore,
Lancaster,
Preston,
Wm. Gandy’s (Cheshire),
Staffordshire,
A. Bickley’s Warwickshire,
Nuneaton,
London, appears to the writ, and is liberated by the King.
1661.—Visits
Essex,
Colchester,
Coggeshall,
London.
1662.
Bristol,
Wiltshire,
Berkshire,
London,
Leicestershire,
Skegby,
Barnet-Hills,
Swannington,
Leicester, imprisoned, but soon liberated.
Swannington,
Twy-cross,
Warwickshire,
Northamptonshire,
Bedfordshire,
London,
Essex,
Norfolk,
Norwich,
Sutton,
Cambridgeshire,
Little-Port,
Isle of Ely,
Lincolnshire,
Huntingdonshire.
Fen Country,
Lynn.
1663.—[Vol. II.]
Norfolk,
Suffolk,
Essex,
Hertfordshire,
London,
Kent,
Ashford,
Cranbrook,
Tenterden,
Newick,
Hampshire,
Southampton,
Pouner,
Wiltshire,
Dorsetshire,
Topsham,
534Totness,
Kingsbridge,
Plymouth,
Cornwall,
Falmouth,
Penryn,
Helstone,
Land’s End,
Redruth,
Truro,
Stoke,
Horse Bridge,
Devonshire,
Tiverton,
Collumpton,
Wellington,
Taunton,
Street,
Puddimore,
Bristol,
Slaughterford (Wilts),
Gloucestershire,
Herefordshire,
Hereford,
Radnorshire,
Wales,
Shropshire,
Warwickshire,
Derbyshire,
Staffordshire,
Whitehaugh,
Peak Country,
Synderhill-Green,
Holderness,
Scarbro’,
Whitby,
Malton,
York,
Boroughbridge,
Bishoprick,
Stainmoor,
Yorkshire,
Sedbergh,
Westmorland,
Lancashire,
Swarthmore,
Arnside,
Kellet,
Underbarrow,
Grayrig,
Sedbergh,
Strickland-Head,
Northumberland,
Derwent-Water,
Cumberland,
Wigton,
Pardshaw-Crag,
Westmorland,
Keswick,
Cartmel,
Swarthmore,
Kirby-Hall,
Swarthmore,
Holker-Hall,
Swarthmore,
Lancaster, imprisoned.
1664 and 1665.
Removed to Scarbro’ Castle.
1666.
Liberated by the King, after being incarcerated nearly 3 years—he then goes
To Whitby,
Burlington,
Oram,
Marmaduke Stor’s,
Grace Barwick’s,
Richard Shipton’s,
Malton,
Hull,
Howden-Dyke,
York,
Geo. Watkinson’s,
Thos. Taylor (Brighouse),
Synderhill-Green,
Derbyshire,
Nottinghamshire,
Skegby,
Mansfield,
Nottingham,
Leicester,
Sileby,
John Penford’s,
Warwick,
Baddesley,
Northamptonshire,
Bedfordshire,
535Buckinghamshire,
Oxfordshire,
London,
Kingston,
Reading,
Wiltshire,
Bristol,
Nat. Crisp’s,
London,
Essex,
Suffolk,
Norfolk,
Huntingdonshire,
Bedfordshire,
Nottinghamshire,
Lincolnshire,
Nottinghamshire.
1667.
Leicestershire,
Warwickshire,
Derbyshire,
Peak-Hills,
Staffordshire,
Cheshire,
Lancashire,
Sankey, near Warrington,
Jane Milner’s (Cheshire),
Shropshire,
Wales,
Denbighshire,
Montgomeryshire,
Merionethshire,
Shropshire,
Worcestershire,
Pashur,
Worcester,
Droitwich,
Shrewsbury,
Radnorshire,
Herefordshire,
Monmouthshire,
Ross,
Gloucestershire,
Bristol,
Wiltshire,
London,
Hertfordshire,
Baldock,
Waltham,
Shacklewell,
London,
Buckinghamshire,
Weston,
North-Newton, near Banbury,
Gloucestershire,
Monmouthshire.
1668.
Swansea,
Mumbles,
Cardiff,
Newport,
Shipton,
Forest of Dean,
Olveston,
Irb’s Court, Somerset,
Portishead,
Minehead,
Barnstaple,
Appledore,
Stratton,
Truro,
Land’s End,
Tregangeeves,
Devonshire,
Plymouth,
Kingsbridge,
Topsham,
Membury,
Ilchester,
Puddimore,
Somersetshire,
Dorsetshire,
Southampton,
Hampshire,
Farnham,
Surrey,
Sussex,
Kent,
London.
1669.
Surrey,
Sussex,
Warwick,
Birmingham,
Baddesley,
Nottingham,
Balby,
York,
536Whitby,
Scarbro’,
Through Yorkshire,
Wolds,
Holderness,
Thos. Taylor’s (Brighouse),
Eldreth,
Staffordshire,
Cheshire,
Wm. Barnes’s (Sankey),
Liverpool,
Ireland,
Dublin,
New-Garden,
Bandon-Bridge,
Land’s End,
Bandon,
Cork,
Dublin,
Liverpool,
Lancashire,
Cheshire,
Gloucestershire,
Nailsworth,
Bristol,
Olveston,
Wiltshire,
Berkshire,
Oxfordshire,
Buckinghamshire,
London,
Essex,
Hertfordshire,
Cambridgeshire,
Huntingdonshire,
Leicestershire,
Derbyshire,
Warwickshire,
London.
1670.
Middlesex,
Buckinghamshire,
Oxfordshire,
Reading,
Banghurst (Hants),
Berkshire,
Surrey,
Guildford,
Sussex,
Kent,
Deal,
Canterbury,
Isle of Sheppy,
Rochester,
Gravesend,
Essex,
Hornchurch,
Stratford,
Gerrard Roberts’s,
Enfield.
1671.
Gerrard Roberts’s,
Shacklewell,
London,
Kingston,
Gravesend,
Downs,
Deal, sails for
Barbadoes,
Jamaica.
1672.
Maryland,
Long Island,
Rhode Island,
Providence,
Narraganset,
Shelter Island,
Long Island,
East Jersey,
Maryland,
Virginia,
Carolina,
Virginia,
Maryland.
1673.
Old England,
Shirehampton,
Bristol,
Gloucestershire,
Wiltshire,
Slaughterford,
Marlborough,
Oare,
Hampshire,
Oxfordshire,
Reading,
Buckinghamshire,
Kingston-on-Thames,
London,
Essex,
Middlesex,
London,
Kingston,
Surrey,
Kingston,
London,
Hendon,
Rickmansworth,
Aylesbury,
Adderbury,
Worcestershire,
Armscott,
Sent to Worcester jail, detained nearly fourteen months; at length liberated by proclamation.
1674.
London,
Kingston,
London,
Dunstable.
1675.
Newport-Pagnell,
Northampton,
Cossall,
Warrington,
Preston,
Lancashire,
Swarthmore.
1676.
This year he remained at Swarthmore.
1677.
Poolbank (Westmorland),
Camsgill,
Brigflatts,
Sedbergh,
Garsdale,
Wensleydale,
Counterside,
Scarr-House in Langstroth-Dale,
Bishopdale,
Middleham,
Barton,
Bedale,
Northallerton,
Burrowby,
York,
Tadcaster,
Knottingley,
Doncaster,
Balby,
Ballowfield,
Stainsby,
Skegby,
Nottingham,
Wimeswold,
Sileby,
Leicester,
Knighton,
Swannington,
Hartshorn,
Baddesley,
Whittington,
Hartshill,
Dingley,
Adingworth,
Northampton,
Olney,
Turvey,
Kempston,
Ampthill,
Bullock’s-Hill,
Luton,
Market-Street,
Kensworth,
Alban’s,
South-Mims,
Barnet,
Gutterhedge,
Highgate,
London,
Sussex,
Surrey,
Worminghurst,
Worplesdon,
Kingston,
London,
Colchester,
Harwich,—sails for
Holland-lands at
Briel,—goes to
Rotterdam,
Delft,
Leyden,
Haarlem,
Amsterdam,
Buyckslote,
Purmerend,
Alkmaar,
Hoorn,
Enckhuysen,
Friesland,
Workum,
Harlingen,
Leeuwarden,
Dockum,
Strobus,
Groningen,
Appingdalem,
Delfziel,
Embden,
Leer,
Strikehuysen,
Deteren,
Apen,
Oldenburg,
Delmenhorst,
Bremen,
Overdeland,
Fisherholder,
Closeterseven,
Buxtehude,
Hamburg,
Elmshorn,
Itzehoe,
Hogenhorn,
Frederickstadt,
Hamburg,
Bormer-Haven,
Bremen,
Keby,
Oldenburgh,
Leer,
Embden,
Delfziel,
Groningen,
Strobus,
Dockum,
Leeuwarden,
Anderigo,
Gardick,
Leeuwarden,
Franeker,
Harlingen,
Amsterdam,
Landsmeer,
Amsterdam,
Haarlem,
Amsterdam,
Leyden,
Hague,
Delft,
Rotterdam,
Briel,—sails for England, lands at
Harwich,—goes to
Colchester,
Halstead,
Braintree,
Felstead,
Saling,
Chelmsford,
London,
Kingston,
Buckinghamshire,
Amersham,
Hunger-Hill,
Jordans,
Hedgerly,
Wycombe,
Turville-Heath,
Wycombe,
Henley,
Corsham,
Reading,
Berkshire,
Wiltshire,
Bristol,
Winterbourne,
Sudbury,
Tedbury,
Nailsworth,
Finchcomb,
Nailsworth.
1678.
Cirencester,
Crown-Allins,
Cheltenham,
Stoke-Orchard,
Tewkesbury,
Worcester,
Pershore,
Evesham,
Ragley,
Stratford,
Lamcote,
Armscott,
Oxfordshire,
Sibford,
North-Newton,
Banbury,
Adderbury,
Buckinghamshire,
Long-Crendon,
Ilmer,
Mendle,
Weston,
Cholesbury,
Chesham,
Isaac Penington’s,
Hertfordshire,
Chorleywood,
Watford,
Hemel-Hempstead,
Market-Street,
Luton,
Alban’s,
South-Mims,
Barnet,
Hendon,
London,
Hertford,
Rabley-Heath,
Stevenage,
Baldock,
Hitchin,
Ashwell,
Bedfordshire,
Huntingdon,
Ives,
Northamptonshire,
Great-Bowden,
Saddington,
Wigston,
Knighton,
Leicester,
Sileby,
Swannington,
Warwickshire,
Staffordshire,
Monyash,
Yorkshire,
Hill,
Kellet,
Arnside,
Swarthmore, where he remained about a year.
1680.
Westmorland,
Lancashire,
Yorkshire,
York,
Barton,
Nottinghamshire,
Derbyshire,
Leicestershire,
Warwickshire,
Warwick,
Southam,
Radway,
North-Newton,
Banbury,
Gloucestershire,
Northamptonshire,
Biddlesden,
Lillingston-Lovel,
Bugbrook,
Stony-Stratford,
Bedfordshire,
Dunstable,
Market-Street,
Alban’s,
Mims,
Barnet,
Gutterhedge,
London,
Surrey,
Sussex,
Kingston,
Worplesdon,
Guildford,
Esher,
Capel,
Patchgate,
Worminghurst,
Bletchington,
Horsham,
Ifield,
Reigate,
Gatton, Kingston,
Hammersmith,
Battersea,
Wandsworth,
Kensington,
Hendon,
London,
537Edmonton,
Hertford,
Waltham-Abbey,
Edmonton,
Shacklewell,
London.
1681.
Kingston-on-Thames,
London,
Waltham-Abbey,
Flamstead-Heath,
Edmonton,
Enfield,
Winchmore-Hill,
London,
Sussex,
London,
Edmonton,
Buckinghamshire,
Henley,
Reading,
Oare,
Oxfordshire,
Warborough,
Ilmer,
Mary Penington’s,
Hunger-Hill,
Watford,
Uxbridge,
Longford,
Staines,
Sunbury,
Kingston,
Wandsworth,
Hammersmith,
London.
1682.
Dalston,
London,
Kingston,
London.
1683.
Kingston-on-Thames,
London,
Guildford,
Worminghurst,
Sussex,
Surrey,
Kingston,
London,
Kingston-on-Thames,
London,
Kingston,
London,
Essex,
Dalston,
London,
Kingston,
London,
Enfield,
London.
1684.
Colchester,
Harwich—sails for
Briel in Holland,
Rotterdam,
Amsterdam,
Friesland,
Leeuwarden,
Franeker,
Harlingen,
Amsterdam,
Osan-over,
Landsmeer,
Amsterdam,
Sardam,
Alkmaar,
Amsterdam,
Haarlem,
Rotterdam,
Briel—sails for
Harwich,
Colchester,
Witham,
Hare Street,
William Mead’s,
Enfield,
Dalston,
London.
1685.
South Street,
Ford-Green,
Enfield,
Waltham-Abbey,
Enfield,
Edmonton-Side,
London,
South Street,
Enfield,
London,
Epping Forest,
London,
Kingston,
Hammersmith,
London,
Bethnal-Green,
London,
Enfield.
1686.
London,
Bethnal-Green,
Enfield,
Chiswick,
London,
Kingston.
1687.
London,
Gooses (Essex),
London,
Edmonton,
South-Street,
Winchmore-Hill,
Bury-Street,
Enfield,
Hertford,
Waltham-Abbey,
Gooses (W. Mead’s),
Wanstead,
Barking,
John Harding’s,
Gooses,
London,
Kingston,
Guildford,
Kingston,
Chiswick,
Hammersmith,
London,
1688.
Enfield,
Barnet,
Waltham-Abbey,
London,
Gooses,
Barking,
Waltham-Abbey,
Hoddesdon,
Enfield,
South-Street,
Ford-Green,
Winchmore-Hill,
London,
Gooses.
1689.
London,
Southgate,
London,
Kingston,
Hammersmith,
London,
Tottenham-High-Cross,
Winchmore-Hill,
Enfield,
London,
Gooses.
1690.
London,
Kingston,
Tottenham-High-Cross,
Ford-Green,
Enfield,
Cheshunt,
Waltham-Abbey,
Enfield,
Tottenham,
Winchmore-Hill,
Hertford,
Ware,
Edmonton,
Tottenham,
London,
Tottenham,
Ford-Green,
Tottenham,
Enfield,
Winchmore-Hill,
Ford-Green,
London, where he died the 13th of 11th Month, 1690, in his 67th year.
PARTICULARS OF THE ENGLISH EDITIONS OF THE JOURNAL OF GEORGE FOX.
541
A.—FIRST EDITION, 1694.—“A JOURNAL or Historical Account
of the Life, Travels, Sufferings, Christian Experiences and Labour
of Love in the Work of the Ministry, of that Ancient, Eminent
and Faithful Servant of Jesus Christ, George Fox; Who
departed this Life in great Peace with the Lord, the 13th of
the 11th Month, 1690. The First Volume.”[A]
A. The Second Vol. was a Collection of Epistles, etc., published by Tace Sowle, 1698.
Dan. 12. 3.—“And they that turn many to Righteousness, shall shine as
the Stars for ever and ever.” Verse 4.—“Many shall run to and fro;
and Knowledge shall be Encreased.”
2 Tim. 2. 12.—“If we suffer, we shall also reign with him; (i.e. with
Christ.”)
LONDON: Printed for Thomas Northcott, in George-Yard in
Lombard-Street, M DC XCIV. Folio.
Preface 48 pp., Testimonies pp. i-xviii, Journal pp. 1-200, 201*-288*,
189-632, and 16 pages of Tables. Total number of pages 796.
The Tables are (i.) Names of Countries, etc.; (ii.) Names of Friends,
etc.; (iii.) Subject Matters; (iv.) Catalogue of Epistles.
This edition was edited by Thomas Ellwood and published with and
without the Preface by Wm. Penn (printed by Tace Sowle, 1694).
Most of the copies of this edition extant contain a reprint of pages
309, 310, which was inserted by request, in place of the original leaf,
soon after publication of the volume.
A circular with proposals for reprinting the Journal, issued in 1708,
states that it was “out of Print, and very Scarce these Four or Five
Years past, Advanced to, and sold for 20s.per Book, whereas the
first Price was but 13s.”
B.—SECOND EDITION.—(But not so called on title page), 1709.
Same title as A.
LONDON: Printed and Sold by J. Sowle in White-Hart-Court in
Gracious-street, 1709. In two parts, 8vo., pt. i., pp. lxxii, 592.,
pt. ii., pp. 580 and 36 pages of Tables as in A.
The above-mentioned, 4to. circular of “Proposals for Re-printing the
Journal,” etc., states that the Journal would be put to the press
when the number of subscribers amounted to 500, and that the
price would be Seven Shillings and Sixpence to subscribers,[B] “bound
in Calves Leather.” The volumes were to be “about the bigness of
R. Barclay’s Apology,” and the text “Corrected from some Mistakes
which passed in the former Impression.”
542C.—THIRD EDITION, 1765.—Same title as A, but omitting date of
death, and part of Scripture quotations. “The Third Edition corrected.”
LONDON: Printed by W. Richardson and S. Clark. Sold by Luke
Hinde in George-Yard, Lombard-Street, and the Booksellers in
London and Westminster. M.DCC.LXV. Folio, pp. lix., 679 and
27 pages of Indexes as in A.
Corrected by Joseph Phipps; and in which a large number of unnecessary
words no longer appear. It is supposed that the following
folio circular, though undated, refers to this edition, “Proposals for
Printing by Subscription, in one Volume in Folio, a New Edition of
the Journal ... of ... George Fox. ... The Conditions:
I. The Book will contain upwards of Two Hundred Sheets, and
shall be printed on a fine Paper, and with a curious new Letter of
this Size. II. The Price to the Subscribers will be twelve Shillings
per Book in Sheets, fourteen Shillings in half-binding, or sixteen
Shillings neatly bound in Calves Leather and letter’d on the Back.
But in case the Number subscrib’d for should exceed one Thousand,
then the Subscribers shall have an Abatement of one Shilling per
Book. III. Four Shillings per Book are to be paid at the Time of
subscribing, and the Remainder on the Delivery. Subscriptions are
taken in by Luke Hinde, in George-Yard, Lombard-Street, London;
of whom Proposals may be had.”
D.—FOURTH EDITION.—Not known as an English edition, but see
under “American Editions.”
E.—FIFTH EDITION (but not so called on title page) 1827.—Same
title as A.
London: Printed by W. Phillips, George Yard, Lombard Street,
1827, from the First Edition, printed for Thomas Northcott, in
George Yard, in Lombard Street, 1694. In two volumes large
8vo., vol. i. pp. lxxiv. 75-506; vol. ii. pp. 452 and 35 pages of
Tables as in A. Price Twenty-four Shillings.
F.—SIXTH EDITION, 1836.—Same title as A, with addition of
“Sixth Edition—in two Volumes.”
LEEDS: Printed by Anthony Pickard. M DCCC XXXVI. Small
8vo., vol. i., pp. I.-VIII., i.-lxxxii., 83-556; vol. ii., pp. 488 and 75
pages of Addenda and Indexes.
Printed for Joshua Kaye and George North Tatham, Leeds. Edition
of 5,000 copies, sold at six shillings per copy. Contains Advertisement
by the Editors, who state it was collated with the first and
third editions. Special work seems to have been done on the
Indexes, which include Texts of Scripture, Chronological Arrangement,
etc.
G.—SEVENTH EDITION, 1852.—Title, “Journal of George Fox;
being an Historical Account of the Life, ... [as A.] Seventh
Edition—in two Volumes, with Notes Biographical and Historical,
etc., by Wilson Armistead.”
LONDON: W. and F. G. Cash (late Gilpin), Bishopsgate Street, ...
M DCCCLII. 8vo., vol. i., pp. xiv., 409; vol. ii., pp. ix., 354, and
58 pages of Appendix and Indexes, but omission of Catalogue of
Epistles, etc.
Printed by W. G. Blackie and Co., Villafield, Glasgow, from F. For
the first time divided into chapters and supplied with Introduction
and Table of Contents. Price five shillings.
543H.1.—EIGHTH (and Bi-Centenary) EDITION, 1891.—Title as G,
but omitting part of Scripture quotation. “Eighth (and Bi-Centenary)
Edition, in two volumes.”
LONDON: Friends’ Tract Association; Edward Hicks, Junr., Publisher,
14, Bishopsgate Street Without, 1891. 8vo., vol. i., pp. lxii.,
537; vol. ii., pp. xvi., 507, and 61 pages of Appendix and Indexes
as G.
Carefully collated with the earliest editions; and in other respects a
reprint of G. Favouring circumstances occurring about the time of
the two-hundredth anniversary of the death of George Fox, by the
gift of two Friends deceased, and assistance from others, these
volumes were produced at much less cost to purchasers than would
otherwise have been the case. The whole was printed and stereotyped
by Headley Brothers, Ashford, Kent; and conducted through
the press under the joint supervision of Daniel Pickard, the revising
editor, and of Frederick Goodall Cash, Hon. Secretary of Friends’
Tract Association, London. Price five shillings net.
500 copies were printed, and sold at five shillings each.
H.2.—EIGHTH EDITION, reprinted 1901.—Title, “The Journal of
George Fox; being an Historical Account of his Life, Travels,
Sufferings, and Christian Experiences. In two volumes.”
Published for the Friends’ Tract Association, by Headley Brothers,
14, Bishopsgate Street Without, London, E.C., 1901. 8vo. vol. i.,
pp. lxxii., 537, vol. ii., pp. xvi., 507, 31 pages of Appendix as H.1,
and 50 pages of Particulars of Editions, and Indexes.
The text of this is reprinted by Headley Brothers, Ashford, Kent, from
the stereo plates of H.1. slightly corrected, and has been furnished
with greatly extended Index to Persons and Places, further particulars
of previous editions and a Map, compiled by Norman Penney,
Hon. Sec. of Friends’ Tract Association. 500 copies were printed.
Price per copy five shillings net, including the map six shillings and
sixpence net.
NOTE.—An abridged edition of The Journal, under the title “The Autobiography
of George Fox,” edited, with Introduction, by Henry Stanley Newman, was published in
London and Leominster [1886]. 4to. pp. xxxii, 406 and 16 pages of Index.
PARTICULARS OF THE AMERICAN EDITIONS OF THE JOURNAL OF GEORGE FOX.
544
1.—FOURTH EDITION, 1800.—Title as C, but without Scripture
quotation. “Fourth Edition in two Volumes.”
New York: Printed by Isaac Collins, No. 189, Pearl Street, 1800.
Large 8vo.
It is possible that this, the first American edition, was styled “Fourth
Edition,” in sequence to the “Third Edition,” published in England.
2.—FIFTH EDITION, 1808.—Title as C. “The Fifth Edition,
corrected. In two volumes.”
Philadelphia. Printed for B. and T. Kite, No. 20, North Third
Street. Fry and Kammerer, Printers, 1808. Large 8vo., vol. i.,
pp. 542, vol. ii., pp. 485 and Index.
This edition rightly follows the Fourth (American) Edition, as “The
Fifth Edition,” but it was apparently not reckoned for, when the
English edition of 1836 was styled the “Sixth Edition.”
3.—ANOTHER EDITION, 1831.—Title as C. “Corrected by the
first edition.” In two volumes, forming vols. i. and ii. of The
Works of George Fox (in 8 vols.).
Philadelphia: Marcus T. C. Gould, No. 6, North Eighth Street; New
York: Isaac T. Hopper, No. 420, Pearl Street. J. Harding,
Printer,[66] 1831. Large 8vo., vol. i., pp. 437, vol. ii., pp. 384 and
9 pages of Index.
4.—STEREOTYPE EDITION, no date. Title as C, but incorrect
reference to “Dan. xii. 1.”
Philadelphia: Published at Friends’ Book Store, No. 84, Mulberry
Street. Large 8vo., pp. liv., 662 and 10 pages of Index.
From a Minute of the Meeting for Sufferings of Philadelphia Yearly
Meeting, under date of 12mo. 25, 1832, it seems that the stereotype
plates of the Journal were so nearly completed that the Treasurer
of the Yearly Meeting was authorised to pay for same, and in the
following 4th month, a bill passed the Meeting for Sufferings for
printing 500 copies of same.
Many of above particulars have been kindly supplied by Morgan
Bunting, George J. Scattergood, and Wm. C. Cowperthwaite, of Philadelphia.
INDEX I. PERSONS AND PLACES.
545
[Names of Persons directly connected with G. Fox, and of Places
visited by him, appear in capital letters.
Names of Persons and Places indirectly mentioned in The Journal
appear in small letters; indirect references are also preceded by the
word “mentioned.”
Names preceded by a * have footnotes respecting them, the pages
on which such footnotes occur being given in italic letters.
Words within [ ] represent additional information not to be found
in The Journal].
Battledore, The, written, published, and presented, i. 513.
Batts, Nathaniel, captain, ex-governor of Roanoke, visits G. Fox in Carolina and asks about a woman in Cumberland who was said to have been healed by G. Fox, ii. 184.
Baxe, Richard, meeting at his house [at Capel] in Sussex, ii. 130.
Baxter, Richard, Presbyterian, book by, referred to, ii. 414.
Ceely, Peter, major and justice, of Cornwall, apprehends G. Fox, Edward Pyot, and Wm. Salt, and commits them to Launceston jail, i. 267-271, 276, 284, 476;
G. Fox imprisoned in House of Correction and common jail, i. xlviii, 50-77 90, 467, 523, ii. 3, 20, 210, 511, and is visited by various persons there, i. 56, 58 62, 67, 69, 70, 80;
with G. Fox in Cornwall, i. 461, ii. 10, 517, in Bristol, ii. 79, 198, on his journey north, and imprisonment at Worcester, ii. 204-213, 219, 225, 518, and at Lancaster and Swarthmore, ii. 233;
meets G. Fox in Yorkshire, i. 106, at Swarthmore, i. 123, ii. 513, 514, in Walney Island where cruelly treated, i. 134-136, at Lancaster Sessions of which he writes an account, i. 140-142, in London, i. 237, 259, in Derbyshire where he disputes with priests, i. 252, at Exeter, i. 327;
imprisoned in Appleby jail, i. 128, and Exeter, i. 327;
*Parker, Alexander, with G. Fox, in Leicestershire, i. 207, in London, i. 213, Bedfordshire, i. 226, Cambridgeshire, i. 334, Scotland, i. 406-410, Bristol, i. 527, ii. 87, Isle of Sheppey, ii. 131, Holland, ii. 397-403;
of the beast and dragon, set up in the apostacy, i. 338.
Yea and Nay, to be kept to, i. 2, 167, 186, ii. 49, 51, 227.
Footnotes
1. Thomas Salthouse of Lancashire (but afterwards resided in the
South of England,) was born about 1630, and convinced when George
Fox first came to Swarthmore. He became an eminent minister of the
gospel, for which he suffered much. In 1655 he, and Miles Halhead,
being pressed in spirit to visit the Friends imprisoned at Plymouth,
they were taken up on suspicion of having a hand in an insurrection
which broke out a little before; and though the high Sheriff confessed
he did not believe them concerned in it, he caused them to be
kept close prisoners at Exeter for fourteen days, and then sent them from
officer to officer towards home. In going towards Bridgewater, the officer
who conducted them fell down, and lay grovelling on the ground in
the sight of many people, and was able to go no further. So they returned
to the justice to tell him what had befallen the officer, and to
know what further he would do with them. But he declined to interfere
with them again; set them at liberty, and desired the Lord to be with
them.
For further particulars of Thomas Salthouse, the reader is referred
to Whiting’s Memoirs, p. 452-460. Whiting concludes his account
by saying, “He was a pleasant man in conversation, which rendered
him acceptable to many others as well as Friends, had a large capacity,
and an excellent gift in the ministry. He wrote some notable books, and
excellent epistles to Friends, though never collected as they deserve. He
died at his own house Cornwall in 1690, about sixty years of age, in peace
with the Lord; and is no doubt at rest with him from all his labours
and sufferings, and his works follow him.”
3. John Whitehead was a very eminent Minister amongst the early
Friends, valiant for the truth, and a great sufferer for it. His life
and writings have been published, to which the reader is referred.
He wrote a very beautiful and encouraging epistle to Friends, dated
Aylesbury prison, 12th month, 1660, which is inserted in Letters, &c.,
of Early Friends, 382-387. William Penn, in his preface to Whitehead’s
Works, says, “He was among the most eminent for his sound mind and
capacity, great zeal and boldness, and as great humility, patience, and
labour in word, doctrine, and charity.”
4. Hugh Tickell was born in Cumberland, about the year 1610, being
convinced by George Fox when he first visited Cumberland in 1653, he
gave up his house for meetings, and entertained the Lord’s messengers.
He became a faithful and eminent minister, travelling up and down in
the service of the Gospel, suffering much for it, both in the spoiling of
his goods and in imprisonments. In 1664 he was cast into Carlisle jail,
with four other Friends, by priest Marshall of Crosthwaite, and though
he kept him in prison three years, yet he took tithe of his land. But
afterwards this priest fell down stairs and broke his skull, upon which
he died. Hugh Tickell was again imprisoned in Carlisle jail, when
about sixty-eight years old, by Richard Lowry, another priest of Crosthwaite,
because he could not pay him tithes, who kept him prisoner about
nine months, part of it in a cold winter, and in a damp nasty place not
fit for men to lie in. This priest Lowry was suddenly stricken, and
had the use of one side of his tongue, and his understanding much
taken from him, and so continued a long time—a remarkable judgment.
Hugh Tickell patiently bore all his sufferings, and willingly endured
them for the testimony of Jesus and a good conscience. But in his last
imprisonment he contracted a distemper of body, which, increasing
upon him after he came home, he grew weak, but continued in great
patience; and being sensible his end drew nigh, set his house in order,
and, taking leave of friends and neighbours, he sweetly departed in
great peace in 1680, being above seventy years of age.
5. Of the William Wilson here alluded to, the following particulars
have been gathered:—He was a man of an innocent life, and though
he had little outward learning, God was pleased to teach him himself,
and called him to bear a testimony to his name, which he did faithfully,
not only in many parts of England, but in Germany and Scotland, which
he visited several times. He was of a lowly and meek spirit, upright and
just among his neighbours, which caused them often to submit their
differences to his arbitration, in which he was careful to find out the
real truth, and would never countenance deceit. In this service he was
successful, seldom missing his desired end, viz., to restore peace. He
was faithful in his testimony for the truth, and a sufferer for the same
in prison at Kendal, in 1666, and several times afterwards, as well as by
distress on his goods. Besides which he suffered cruel mockings,
stoning, blows, and wounds, both from priests and people, particularly
at Eskdale, where he exhorted the people “to mind that of God in their
consciences, and turn to that holy light and law which he had put into
their inward parts, that by the same they might come to know the will
of God, and do it.” Because of these and like words, one Parker, a
priest, beat and wounded him, and with one of his crutches broke his
head, causing the blood to run down his shoulders. The priest being
lame, and not able as he would to effect his cruel purpose, caused his
horse to be brought, on which he mounted, and in the sight of the
people broke his staff in three pieces upon William Wilson’s bare head,
which made them cry out against such merciless behaviour. Before the
priest got home, he was overtaken with sickness, and never came more
to the steeple-house. During the time of his sickness he was very
loathsome, and so died.
A few weeks after, William Wilson went to the same place at Eskdale,
and for speaking to the people, one Fogo, a priest, took him by the hair
of the head, pulled him to the ground, and drew him out. In rage and
cruelty he also abused his brother Michael Wilson; but a few months
after, this same Fogo, riding over some sands, accompanied by several
people, fell into a quicksand, and was immediately smothered.
William Wilson left behind him a widow and two daughters, to whom
he was a true husband and a tender father, instructing his children “to
keep in the fear of the Lord, and to walk in the way of truth, which he
walked in himself;” often saying to them, “it would be the best portion
that they could enjoy.” His last illness was short. Having recently returned
from a long journey, wherein his body was much spent and weak,
he said, “I have not served the Lord unfruitfully; I have no trouble
upon me; and I am very sensible that all is well with me.” Again he
said, “He was content, whatsoever way the Lord pleased; he felt as a
dove, harmless; and as a lamb, innocent.” A few hours before he
died, at which time he walked several times over the room, he said, as
he had often before, “My peace far exceeds my pain;” and standing
upon his feet before two Friends, he said, “O that every one would
mind the Lord, that they might keep life.” He then sat down and drew
breath no more.
He died at his own house at Langdale, the 10th of the 5th month, 1682.
6. We cannot be surprised at the hard language sometimes used by
the early Friends in protesting against the unchristian conduct of their
persecutors. The rapacity of their enemies in the early periods of the
Society carried their plunder to so great an excess, as not only to involve
many in total ruin, but subjected them to long and cruel imprisonments,
which, in many cases of particular hardship, terminated in death.
It has already been stated that at one time there were 4,500 Quakers in
prison in England and Wales at one time. In 1662, twenty died in different
prisons in London, and seven more after their liberation, from ill
treatment. In 1664, twenty-five died, and in 1665, fifty-two more.
The number which perished in this way, throughout the whole kingdom,
amounted to 369. But for fuller particulars of the cruelties practised
against the early Quakers, the reader is referred to the two closely printed
folio volumes, entitled Besse’s Sufferings.
7. The word Sirrah must not be confounded with Sir. It was no
doubt made use of strictly in the sense of the only meaning Walker
gives to it in his Dictionary, viz.viz., “A compellation of reproach and
insult.”
8. Of Thomas Robertson not much is known, but he appears to have
been a faithful labourer in his day. Ambrose Rigge, in the Account of
his Life, states. “A fellow-labourer was prepared for me, which was
Thomas Robertson of Westmorland; who was made willing to leave
his dear wife and tender babes, to go with me into the Lord’s harvest.”
In Letters, &c., of Early Friends, p. 226, is a letter from Thomas
Robertson to Margaret Fell, under date 1655.
9. The person whom George Fox here and elsewhere styles Esquire
Marsh, was a gentleman attached to the court of Charles II. He always
remained attached to George Fox, and ever retained a most friendly
interest for the Society in general. From his station at court and office
as a magistrate, he had frequent opportunities of interposing his authority
to protect the early Friends from the unjust oppression of their persecutors.
10. The sickness here alluded to was the “Plague,” which visited
London in 1665. The state of the city during this dreadful visitation
seems to have been most deplorable. The following striking description
is from Ellis’s Original Letters in the British Museum. The letter is one
addressed to Dr. Sancroft from J. Tillison, dated Sept. 14, 1665:—
“The desolation of the city is very great. That heart is either of steel
or stone, that will not lament this sad visitation, and will not bleed for those
unutterable woes! What eye would not weep to see so many
habitations uninhabited—the poor sick not visited—the hungry not fed—the
grave not satisfied! Death stares us continually in the face in
every infected person that passes by us, in every coffin which is daily
and hourly carried along the streets. The custom was in the beginning
to bury the dead in the night only; but now both night and day will
hardly be time enough to do it. The Quakers (as we are informed)
have buried, in their piece of ground, a thousand for some weeks together
past.”
George Whitehead relates the satisfaction and comfort many innocent
Friends expressed on their deathbeds, both in Newgate and other
noisome places during the plague. Death was truly gain to these: “it
being through death,” says Whitehead, “that the Lord had appointed
the final deliverance of many from the cruelties and rod of the oppressors,
and from the miseries and evil to come.”—“Whilst the plague was
raging in the city,” he adds, “our persecutors took fifty-five of our
Friends (men and women) out of Newgate, where the distemper also
prevailed, and forced them on board a ship for banishment, which lay
for some time in the river. They were so crowded on board, and the
distemper breaking out amongst them, most of them were infected, and
twenty-seven of them soon died. I visited them, and had a meeting
with them on board, and the Lord my God preserved me, both from the distemper
and also from banishment, wherein I did humbly confess his
power and special providence to his own praise and glory.”
11. See extraordinary occurrences in an attempt to banish a number of
Friends recorded in a note in Letters, &c., of Early Friends, p. 142-145.
12. Ellis Hookes was employed in London as a recording clerk to the
Society of Friends. It was he who commenced the Record of Sufferings
(mentioned to George Fox in a letter bearing date 1660, inserted in
Letters, &c., of Early Friends, p. 86, 87), which were written out into
large folio volumes, still preserved among the Society’s records in London.
These are continued down to the present day in forty or more of
these large volumes. The clear and excellent writing of Ellis Hookes
extends over a large portion of the first of these bulky folios. To the
narratives of sufferings and persecutions, were added accounts of what
were regarded as judgments upon persecutors; which were, doubtless
in that day, ordered to be recorded, under a sense of the fear of God,
and in testimony unto his overruling power.
Ellis Hookes died in 1681. In the London Register of Burials, he is
described “of Horslydown in Southwark, scrivenor;” and “died the
12th of the 9th month, 1681, of a consumption (having been clerk to
Friends in London about twenty-four years)—he was buried in Checker
Alley.”
13. The great fire of London occurred towards the latter end of 1666.
The narratives given in the Diaries of Evelyn and Pepys, who were eye-witnesses
of it, are sad indeed. Evelyn writes—“Sept. 3. The fire
continued all this night (if I may call that night, which was light as
day for ten miles about), after a dreadful manner—when conspiring
with a fierce eastern wind, in a very dry season. I went on foot to the
Bankside in Southwark, and saw the whole south part of the city burning
from Cheapside to the Thames, and all along Cornhill, Tower Street,
Gracious Street, and so along to Bainard’s Castle, and was now taking
hold of St. Paul’s Church. The conflagration was so universal, and the
people so astonished, that from the beginning (I know not by what
despondency or fate) they hardly stirred to quench it; so that there was
nothing heard or seen but crying out and lamentation, and running about
like distracted creatures. O! the miserable and calamitous spectacle!
such as happily the world had not seen the like since the foundation of it,
nor to be outdone till the universal conflagration. All the sky was of a
fiery aspect, like the top of a burning oven, the light [being] seen above
forty miles round about for many nights. The poor inhabitants were
dispersed about St. George’s Fields and Moorfields, as far as Highgate,
and several miles in circle—some under tents, some under miserable huts
and hovels, many without a rag or necessary utensils, bed or board; who,
from delicateness, riches, or easy accommodations in stately and well-furnished
houses, were now reduced to extremest misery and poverty,”
&c., vol. i. p. 372-374.
14. For some very interesting particulars respecting the setting up of
Monthly and other disciplinary Meetings and their object, see Letters of
Early Friends, pp. 288-292.
15. The William Smith mentioned here was originally pastor of an Independent
congregation, living after the strictest manner of that people.
He was convinced about the year 1658, and became a faithful labourer
in the gospel. Many were turned to God by him, for he proved himself
a minister of Jesus Christ, in labours, in travails, in watchings, necessities,
and distresses, suffering much loss of goods and long and tedious
imprisonments. For not paying tithes he was imprisoned twenty-one
weeks among felons in Nottingham jail; and another time had the
value of £42 taken from him, whilst he was in prison, for £7 demanded
by the priest of Elton.
In the times of his frequent imprisonments, William Smith wrote
several books, which were printed together in a folio volume in 1675,
entitled Balm from Gilead, &c. When at liberty he travelled abroad
strengthening the brethren, and though often visited by sickness, he was
kept in patience and content, much of the power and presence of God
appearing in him many times when he was in great weakness of body,
to the admiration of beholders. During his last sickness, one evening, many
Friends being in the room sitting in silence, he turned in his bed
towards them, and plentifully declared of the love of God, by which
they were much refreshed and tendered. He also testified of a large
portion which he had in life eternal. Then he spoke to Friends “to
be mindful of truth, and of their service therein, more than of their
daily food; and so committed them to the grace of God.” The day
before he died he called his children (six or seven), and tenderly exhorted
them “to keep in the fear of God, and to love the truth, and God
would be a father and portion to them.”
16. Some interesting documents, exhibiting the early care of the
Society with regard to marriages, may bebe referred to in Letters, &c., of
Early Friends, p. 259, 279, 283, &c. So early as 1659, at a meeting of
Friends from four counties, an Epistle of Counsel and Advice was issued
on this, and other subjects; recommending “that no marriage take
place hastily or rashly; but in the fear of the Lord, and in the presence
of many witnesses, according to Scripture example; that so no scandal
or blemish may be laid upon the truth, but that all may be brought to
the light; that a record in writing of the day, place, and year, be kept
within the meeting where a marriage occurs, of which one or both are
members; under which the witnesses may set their names.”
17. In the establishment of the schools at Waltham and at Shacklewell,
at the suggestion of George Fox, we have evidence of his desire
that a useful education should be imparted to youth. It is an error to
suppose the early Friends depreciated human learning, and they
must be exonerated from any such charge. They exhibited in their
own persons, the practicability of the union of knowledge and virtue.
While they were, many of them, eminent for their learning, they were
distinguished for the piety of their lives. They were indeed the
friends of both,both, but did not patronise the one to the prejudice and expulsion
of the other. They always maintained (as Friends continue to
do) that learning is not necessary to make a gospel minister, and here
it is that many have mistaken their meaning.
Barclay, in his celebrated Apology, nowhere condemns the propriety,
or usefulness of human learning, or denies it to be promotive of the
temporal comforts of man. He says the knowledge of Latin, Greek,
and Hebrew, or of Logic and Philosophy, of Ethics or of Physics and
Metaphysics, is not necessary. But mark his meaning. Not necessary to
make a minister of the gospel. But where does he say that knowledge,
which he himself possessed to such a considerable extent, was not necessary;
or that it did not contribute to the innocent pleasures of life? What
would have been the character of his own book, or what would
have been its comparative value and usefulness, had he not been able to
quote so many authors to his purpose in their original texts, or to have
detected so many classical errors, introduced such apposite history, or to
have drawn up his propositions with so much logical and mathematical
clearness and precision; if he had not been among the first literary characters
of his day?
William Penn was equally celebrated with Barclay as a scholar.
His works afford abundant proof of his erudition, and of the high cultivation
of his mind. Like the rest of his associates, he was no advocate
for learning as a qualification for a minister of the gospel; but he was
yet a friend to it, on the principle that it enlarged the understanding,
and that it added to the innocent pleasures of the mind. He entreated
his wife, in the beautiful letter he left her before he embarked on his first
voyage to America, “not to be sparing of expense in procuring learning
for his children; for that by such parsimony, all was lost that was saved.”
And he recommended also, in the same letter, a mathematical and
philosophical education.
Penn’s Secretary, James Logan, was also a patron of learning
among the early Friends. He was a correspondent of Sir Hans Sloane
and other literati of Europe, a contributor to Philosophical Transactions,
and bequeathed his library, of 3000 vols. on arts and sciences in various
languages, to the city of Philadelphia, with an endowment to preserve
it for public use.
Thomas Ellwood, the companion of Milton, was so sensible of the
disadvantages arising from a want of knowledge, that he revived his
learning with great industry after he had become a Friend. “I mentioned
before,” says he in his Journal, “that when I was a boy I made
some progress in learning, and that I lost it all again before I came to be
a man. Nor was I rightly sensible of my loss therein, till I came
amongst Friends. But there I both saw my loss and lamented it,
and applied myself with the utmost diligence at all leisure times to recover
it. So false I found that charge to be, which in those times was
cast as a reproach on the Society, that they despised and decried all
human learning, because they denied it to be essentially necessary to a
gospel ministry, which was one of the controversies of those times.” Ellwood’s
friend, Isaac Penington, assisted him in this matter, and through
his influence with Dr. Paget, procured him the means of improvement
in becoming a reader to Milton.
18. The fourteen monthly meetings mentioned above as settled in Yorkshire
so early as 1669, were York, Balby, Pontefract, Brighouse,
Knaresbro’, Settle, Malton, Thirsk, Richmond, Guisbro’, Scarbro’, Kelk,
Oustwick, and Elloughton.
19. The date of the marriage of George Fox and Margaret Fell, in the
Bristol Register of Friends, is 27th of 8th Month, 1669.
Margaret Fell, it will be remembered, was the widow of Judge Fell
of Swarthmore Hall. It is remarkable with what high esteem and
Christian love this devoted woman appears to have been regarded by
our early and most eminent Friends. She seems to have been generally
acknowledged as a faithful nursing-mother of the flock; and she often
addressed them, when in bonds or otherwise, with letters of consolation
and encouragement. (See numerous letters to and from her in Barclay’s
Letters, &c., of Early Friends). It is also probable she contributed
largely from her means to the relief of their outward necessities. Having
faithfully fulfilled her allotted labours, she died much beloved and
lamented, at her own house at Swarthmore, in 1702, being near the eighty-eighth
year of her age, and having survived George Fox about twelve
years.
Some remarkable expressions of assured happiness fell from her lips
during her last illness, if that could be called an illness, which was the
decay of nature. At one time, under the meltings of heavenly love, she
said, “Oh my sweet Lord! into thy holy bosom do I commit myself
freely; not desiring to live in this troublesome, painful world—it is
all nothing to me—for my Maker is my husband.” A little before her
departure she called her daughter Rachel to her, saying, “Take me in
thy arms”—after which she said, “I am in peace!”
20. The “Conventicle Act” so called, first passed in 1664, was renewed
at the above time (1670), with increased rigour. The penalties were
£5, or three months to the house of correction, for the first offence of
attending a conventicle, if above sixteen years of age; £10, or six
months, for the second; transportation for seven years for the third,
with sequestration of estate, or distraint for the charges; and five years’SLAVERY IN THE COLONIES, by contract between the sheriff and a purchaser,
on being sent abroad, in defect of property to distrain upon; or
out of which to pay £100 as a liberating fine. This fine to be repeated,
and £100 added as oft as he should offend afterwards, or transportation,
&c. (with death for returning), and the forfeiture of his life-interest in
his estate.
Conventicles to be broken up by an armed force, under the direction of
lieutenants of counties, sheriffs, &c. Even a femme covert could not
escape; but must be redeemed by her husband, at the price of £40; or
go to prison, or be transported with him. Nor could a peer of the realm:
he must be fined £10 for the first offence, £20 for the second, and for
the third, be tried by his peers. The fines to be levied by distress, by
warrant of any two justices, or a chief magistrate.
The force of this Act was directed against the Quakers, by inserting,
in the latter part of it, three sections, which brought their refusal to
take an oath under its full penalties; and they suffered dreadfully
through it! In the streets, or where they met to assert their religious
rights, they were dragooned; in court they had oaths tendered, and
were convicted under this Act upon their refusal.
“This Act,” says Besse, “was forthwith put into a rigorous execution,
and many hungry informers [for the sake of their third of the penalties]
made it their business to live upon the spoil and ruin of conscientious
people.” Friends were great sufferers thereby, of the nature of which
the reader may have some idea by reference to “Sufferings under the
Conventicle Act;” Select Miscellanies, vol. iii., pp. 220-245.
21. The celebrated trial of Penn and Mead at the Old Bailey, above
alluded to, may be seen at full length in Clarkson’s Life of Penn—“a
trial which, for the good it has done to posterity, ought to be engraved
on tablets of the most durable marble.” It was certainly one of those
events which, in conjunction with others of a similar sort, by showing
the inadequacy of punishment for religion to its supposed end, not only
corrected and improved the notions of succeeding ages in this respect,
but, by so doing, lessened the ravages of persecution, and the enmity
between man and man. Nor ought posterity to be less grateful for it
as a monument of the ferocity and corrupt usages of former times; for,
contrasting these with the notions and customs of our own age, we see
the improvement of our social and moral condition. Newgate is no
longer the receptacle of innocent individuals suffering for conscience’
sake. In our courts of law we see an order, a decorum, and an administration
of justice, unknown at the period of this memorable trial. Nor
will the prospect be less grateful, if we quit the present for a moment,
and direct our eyes to the future. We have the best reason to hope, on
contemplating the signs of the times, that the day is approaching when
the Christian religion, which is capable of cementing men in the
strongest possible union, and for the noblest purposes, will be restored
to its primitive purity, and made a blessing to all the dwellers upon the
earth.
22. Isaac Penington has been mentioned before, but only cursorily,
in the whole of this Journal; not often meeting with George Fox.
But he was one of the most eminent, experienced, and beloved,
of the Early Friends. He was well descended as to his worldly
parentage, being the eldest son of Alderman Penington, who was
two years successively Mayor of London, and a noted member
of the Long Parliament. Born about the year 1617, he received
a liberal education, having, according to Penn, “all the advantages
the schools and universities of his own country could give, joined
with the conversation of some of the most learned and considerable men
of that time.”
From childhood, Isaac Penington was religiously inclined, and, in a
paper written by himself, and found after his death amongst his writings,
we have such a living portrait of a deeply-exercised mind, as demonstrates
that godliness with him was indeed the “one thing needful.”
“In the sense of my lost estate,” he writes, “I sought after the Lord;
I read the Scriptures; I watched over mine own heart; and whatever I
read in the Scriptures, as the way of God, to my understanding, I gave
myself to the faithful practice of.” He became fully convinced of the
principles of Friends, and joined that despised people—becoming a
faithful sufferer for the cause of Christ.
“Early believers in the light of Truth
Dwelt not at ease in Zion. They endured
Conflicts and trials, and imprisonments.
Even the humble Penington, whose mind
Seemed purged and purified from dross
Of human nature—who appeared as meek
And harmless as an infant—was compelled
To dwell in loathsome prisons.”
He was six times in jail, some of his imprisonments being long, yet
borne with great quietness and constancy of mind. His first imprisonment
was in Aylesbury jail in 1661 and 1662, being committed there
for worshipping God in his own house. He was kept there seventeen
weeks, great part of it in winter—in a cold and very incommodious
room without a chimney, from which usage he contracted so severe an
indisposition, that for several weeks after he was unable to turn himself
in his bed.
In the sixty-third year of his age “he died as he lived, in the faith
that overcomes the world.”
23. Thomas Rous was a wealthy sugar-planter of Barbadoes. John
Rous was his son, and son-in-law to George Fox, having married his
wife’s eldest daughter. John Rous visited New England as a gospel
minister when a young man, and suffered whipping and imprisonment
there. After his release from Boston jail in 1658, except a visit which
he paid to the island of Nevis towards the close of that year, we lose all
trace of him until his marriage with Margaret, eldest daughter of Judge
Fell, at Swarthmore Hall, in 1662. After his marriage he settled in
London, in which, and in its vicinity, he appears to have resided during
the remainder of his life. But few particulars respecting him are preserved,
except a visit to the county of Kent in 1670, accompanied by
Alexander Parker and George Whitehead; and to Barbadoes the following
year with George Fox, as related in this Journal. Besides this, and
a visit to the counties of York and Durham in 1689, we know nothing
of his gospel labours after he settled in England. In his will, dated
from Kingston in Surrey in 1692, he describes himself as a merchant,
and his property, which, it appears was considerable, lay chiefly in
Barbadoes. It is singular no record of his death has been found, but as
his will was proved in 1695, it probably took place in that year.
24. The interest of Friends in behalf of the Negro may be dated from
the rise of the Society, at least from the time of their acquaintance
with them at the above date. In proportion as intercourse was more
frequently maintained with the distant colonies, and the abominations
of Slavery were more generally known, Friends were more decided in
their opposition to it. In 1727 the whole Society, at their Yearly Meeting
in London, passed a general resolution: “That the importing of
Negroes from their native country is not a commendable or allowable
practice, and is therefore censured by this meeting.” At several subsequent
meetings, through a series of years, minutes were passed to the
same effect, but gradually increasing in strength. In 1758, the practice
was declared to be in direct violation of the gospel rule, and Friends
were warned carefully to avoid being in any way concerned in reaping
the unrighteous profits arising from so iniquitous a practice. In 1761
all were disowned who persisted in a practice so repugnant to Christianity,
and so reproachful to a Christian profession.
Clarkson, in alluding to this subject, observes, “I must beg leave to
stop here for a moment, just to pay the Quakers a due tribute of respect
for the proper estimation in which they have uniformly held these
miserable outcasts of society. What a contrast does it afford to the
sentiments of many others concerning them! How have we been compelled
to prove, by a long chain of evidence, that Negroes have the
same feelings and capacities as ourselves! How many, professing
themselves enlightened, even now view them as of a different species.
But by the Friends we have seen them uniformly represented, as
persons ‘ransomed by one and the same Saviour,’ ‘as visited by one
and the same light for salvation,’ and ‘as made equally for immortality
as others.’ These practical views of mankind, as they are highly honourable
to the members of this Society, so they afford a proof both of the
reality and of the consistency of their religion.”
See Clarkson’s History of the Abolition of the Slave Trade, and Copley’s
History of Slavery.
25. The faith of the early Friends in the divinity and offices of our
Saviour being called in question by some, they boldly resented such an
inference. From a work published by Samuel Crisp, in 1704, take the
following extracts:—
“Our faith is, and always has been in that Christ, the Son of God,
who, according to the flesh, was crucified without the gates of Jerusalem:
He is the object of our faith, to the merit of whose death and passion,
with the work of his Spirit in our hearts, we trust only for life and
salvation; with his stripes we are healed.”
“As to what he (a libeller) says of our forcing ourselves to speak
with a seeming reverence and respect of the outward Christ, his death
and sufferings, I would hope that he knows better in his own conscience
than thus to represent us. We bear a true reverence and respect to
Jesus Christ, his death and sufferings, and can never be sufficiently
thankful to him who was pleased to humble himself to death, even the
death of the cross; that all that believe in him might, through the
cross, be made heirs of life and immortality.”
For further elucidation of the soundness of the early Friends in their
belief as to the divinity and offices of Christ, see Evans’ Exposition of
the Faith of the Society of Friends, especially John Banks’ “Testimony
concerning his faith in Christ,” and an “Essay drawn up by John
Burnyeat and John Watson in 1688,” contained in the above-mentioned
work.
26. John Burnyeat, a fellow-labourer in the gospel with George Fox,
and who is several times named in this Journal, was born in Cumberland
about the year 1631. He was well educated, and religiously
inclined from his youth, and convinced by George Fox when he first
came into Cumberland in 1653. He became an unwearied traveller in
the gospel, both in this country and in America, boldly proclaiming the
glad tidings of salvation, for which he fell in for his share of abuse and
imprisonments. Once at Ripon, when visiting twenty-four of his
friends imprisoned there for the testimony of Jesus, speaking a few
words to them he was haled away before the mayor, and several times
knocked off his knees when at prayer, being sent to prison to his friends,
and kept there fourteen weeks.
He married and settled in Ireland, where his service mostly lay in
his latter days. In 1683 he was imprisoned in the Marshalsea in
Dublin two months for meeting and preaching. His wife died in 1688;
and he, having finished his course, and kept the faith, departed in peace
in 1690. His works, and testimonies concerning him, with an account
of his convincement, and journal of his travels, were published in a 4to
volume, to which the reader is referred. See also Piety Promoted,
vol. i. p. 179; and Whiting’s Memoirs, p. 416-430.
27. The instances of heathen kindness and hospitality, experienced by
George Fox and others who have visited the Indians in a friendly
manner, contrast very favourably in comparison with the many acts of
bigoted intolerance and cruelty recorded in these volumes on the part
of those professedly civilized and Christian.
Many incidents might be related in proof of Indian kindness when
unprovoked to opposite conduct. When the Quakers were under a cruel
persecution by the magistrates of Boston, in New England, Nicholas
Upshal, “a man of unblameable conversation,” and a church member
of their communion, showed the sufferers kindness, by giving five
shillings a week to the jailer to let those confined in prison have the
sustenance necessary for life—the magistrates having caused the jail
window to be boarded up, that none might communicate with, or help them.
He proceeded afterwards to reason with the magistrates, and warn
them not to be found fighting against God, for which he was fined £20,
imprisoned, and then banished; though a weakly old man, and the
season the depth of winter. In his banishment in the wilderness, he
met an Indian, who, having understood how he had been dealt with,
took compassion on him, and very kindly told him, if he would live with
him he would make him a warm house; and further said, “What a God
have these English, who deal so with one another about their God!”
See here the Red Indian’s kindly care
Though he the name of savage bear.
Christian, more savage thou than he,
Blush for thy cruel deeds of infamy:
The Indian’s unasked cup of charity
Is larger than as mixed by thee.
The white man aged, through frost and snows,
A banish’d exile to his country goes,
Full many a welcome does he say,
To his warm house whate’er the day.
More Christian he who thus does prove
By practice kindred with a God of love.
More Christian he than they who thus pollute
Their faith, and for their God a brother persecute.
28. See Bowden’s History of Friends in America, vol. i., pp. 280-284.
29. This is the only mention of Christopher Holder in these volumes.
He was a great sufferer in the New England persecution. In 1657 he
and another Friend being at Salem, went to the Puritan place of worship
there, and after the priest had concluded, Christopher Holder addressing
the assembly, was not allowed to proceed; one of the commissioners
with much fury “seizing him by the hair of his head,” and violently
thrusting a glove and handkerchief into his mouth. These two Friends
were subsequently sentenced, under “the law against Quakers,” to receive
thirty lashes. The brutal manner in which this sentence was carried out,
was in accordance with the spirit that prompted the rulers to pass the
cruel law. A three-corded knotted whip was used on the occasion; and
the executioner, to make more sure of his blows, “measured his ground,”
and then “fetched his strokes with all his might.” Thirty strokes thus
inflicted, as will be readily imagined, left the sufferers miserably torn
and lacerated; and in this state they were conveyed to their prison cell.
Here, without any bedding, or even straw to lie on, the inhuman jailer
kept them for three days without food or drink; and, in this dismal
abode, often exposed to damp and cold, were these faithful men confined
for the space of nine weeks. We may wonder that, under such aggravated
cruelties their lives were spared; but He, for whose holy cause they
thus suffered, was near to support and console them. His ancient promise
was fulfilled in their experience, and they rejoiced in the comforting
presence of his living power.—Bowden’s History of Friends in
America.
Previous to this, Christopher Holder and his companion had been
banished from Rhode Island. The governor having hired an Indian to
convey them off the island, ordered the Friends to pay for the passage
themselves. But not being willing to facilitate their own banishment,
and not feeling that it was their Divine Master’s will for them to leave
the island, they declined to go, or to pay the Indian who was hired to
take them. The governor directed the constable forcibly to obtain the
requisite sum from the strangers, and gave peremptory orders to the
natives to take them away in their canoes. The Algonquins, however,
not being in any great haste to execute the bidding of the governor,
contrary to the will of the Friends, and at a time too when the weather
was stormy, entertained them for three days with marked kindness and
hospitality. A change in the weather then taking place, and the
banished ones feeling that it was no longer required of them to stay on
the island, the Indians, at their own request, prepared to take them
across. Before leaving the island the Friends offered to remunerate
the natives for their kindness, but these poor people, from the generous
impulses of their hearts, acting more in unison with the spirit of Christianity
than those who were wont to be their teachers, declined to receive
any reward. “You are strangers,” they replied, “and Jehovah hath
taught us to love strangers.” Such simple and feeling language from
the lips of North American Indians, was a striking rebuke to the bigotry
and intolerance which marked the conduct of their highly professing
teachers.—Bowden’s History of Friends in America.
30. This George Wilson, at whose house George Fox was entertained,
is not mentioned elsewhere in the Journal. He was originally from
Great Britain, and a great sufferer for the truth during the New England
persecution. In 1661, it appears he was amongst twenty-seven other
Friends in prison in Boston, who were liberated that year by an order
from the home government. But these faithful messengers of the
Lord, who were thus unexpectedly released from bondage, were concerned,
almost immediately on leaving the jail, to preach to the
inhabitants those truths for which they had suffered. The magistrates,
already at their wits’-end, in fruitlessly endeavouring to arrest the
spread of Quaker principles, being impatient at this fresh manifestation
of devotedness, ordered a guard of soldiers to drive all the Friends out
of their territory into the wilderness; an order which was speedily
executed. George Wilson was among those who were thus forcibly
expelled; but, undismayed by the new law for the application of the
whip, they returned at once to their homes. There they were quickly
apprehended, and sentenced to undergo a flogging through three towns,
and to be put out of the limits of the colony. The executioner, desirous
of lending his ingenuity to increase the severity of the sentence, provided
himself with a singularly constructed whip, or as it is called, a
“cruel instrument,” with which he “miserably tore” the bodies of the
sufferers. Such was the new and barbarous character of the weapon
used on this occasion, that Friends endeavoured, though unsuccessfully,
to obtain it to send to England, as another proof of the malignant
cruelty which actuated the rulers of Massachusetts towards the new
Society. At the conclusion of this whipping at Boston, George Wilson,
in the midst of his persecutors, knelt in solemn supplication to the Most
High.
Being on a gospel mission in Virginia, George Wilson became a victim
to the reigning intolerance, and was incarcerated in the dungeon at
James’ Town. The circumstances of his case evinced great barbarity on
the part of his persecutors. The place of his imprisonment was an
extremely loathsome one, without light or ventilation. Here, after
being cruelly scourged and heavily ironed for a long period, he had to
feel the heartlessness of a persecuting and dominant hierarchy; until, at
last, his flesh actually rotted from his bones, and, within the cold damp
walls of the miserable dungeon of James’ Town, he laid down his life
a faithful martyr for the testimony of Jesus.
The patience and resignation with which George Wilson bore his
aggravated sufferings, and his faithfulness unto death, form a striking
instance of the inflexible adherence to conscientious conviction, which
so remarkably characterized the early Friends. Living near to Him
who is the fountain and fulness of love, his enemies also became the
objects of his solicitude; and, whilst lingering in the wretched dungeon,
his heart was lifted up in prayer for his persecutors. “For all their
cruelty,” he writes, “I can truly say, Father, forgive them, for they
know not what they do.”—Bowden’s History of Friends in America.
31. William Coale, a Friend of Maryland, was convinced about the
year 1657. He was a man of an innocent and tender spirit; and a
living and weighty minister of the gospel of Christ. He visited Friends
in Virginia with George Wilson, and was very serviceable, some being
turned to the Lord through his ministry, and many established in the
truth. He suffered cruel imprisonment for the gospel, which injured
him so much that he never recovered it. In the time of his last illness
he was cheerful, freely given up to die, saying, “The living presence of
the Lord is with me;” with many more words of the great satisfaction
he had from the Lord concerning his peace; adding, “I bless the Lord,
I have finished my course, and I have nothing to do but to wait on the
Lord and die.” He departed very peaceably and quietly about the year
1678.
32. The difference implied here and elsewhere in the date is between
the old style and the new. The above may be read either, the 3d of the
11th month, 1672; or the 3rd of the 1st month, 1673. It would appear
that an alteration in the mode of reckoning did not take place generally
till made by Act of Parliament in 1752, when the Friends also adopted
a change in the mode of reckoning the months, which is explained at
large in the Book of Discipline, p. 73. ED.: 1833.
33. An officer who had power to force men to serve as sailors and
soldiers in the navy; a procedure long since abolished.
34. This is nearly the last mention of James Lancaster, whose name
occurs so often in these volumes. Perhaps there was no one who associated
so much in gospel labours with George Fox as he; not only
accompanying him throughout his visit to the western hemisphere, but
was also with him during his visit to Scotland in 1657, and to Ireland
in 1669, and on these occasions it appears that he frequently acted as
his amanuensis. James Lancaster’s residence was on the island of
Walney, in Lancashire, and he was convinced by George Fox during his
visit to that county in 1652. In the following year he came forth as a
minister and in 1654, went on a gospel mission to Scotland with Miles
Halhead. In 1665, he visited many of the midland counties of England.
35. When George Fox married the widow of Judge Fell, she had one
son; and seven daughters; viz., Margaret, who married John Rous;
Bridgett, married to John Draper; Isabel; Sarah, married to William
Mead; Mary, married to Thomas Lower; Susanna, married to William
Ingram; and Rachel, married to Daniel Abraham.
36. Some particulars of the controversy here alluded to, may be seen in
Barclay’s Works; also in Jaffray’s Diary, p. 328-330. The students
who were convinced issued a written declaration, stating the grounds of
their change, which is to be found in Jaffray’s Diary.
37. See Selections from the Epistles of George Fox, by Samuel Tuke.
38. Thomas Camm, of Camsgill, in Westmorland, was born in 1641,
and had a good education. He was from childhood inclined to be religious,
was early convinced of Friends’ principles, and after some time
called to the work of the ministry. He counted nothing too near or
dear to part with for truth’s sake, but left all to follow the Lord, and,
with his whole strength and substance, was given up to serve him. He
was an able preacher, diligent and laborious in the work of the Lord,
and instrumental to convince and establish many in the way of truth. His
doctrine was sound, and his delivery in the demonstration of that Divine
power which reached the witness of God in the hearts of his hearers.
Great and many were the sufferings he met with and went through,
as, imprisonments, spoiling of goods, mockings and scoffings from those
without, and suffering among false brethren; in all which, he stood firm
and faithful, approving himself a true follower of Jesus Christ, suffering
joyfully for his name’s sake, who had counted him worthy not only to
believe, but suffer for him. During an illness of some continuance,
many were the weighty expressions that fell from him, often magnifying
the Lord to the tendering of all hearts present. When grown very
weak, being asked how he felt, he would say, “Weak of body, but
strong in the Lord;” saying also, “In Abraham’s bosom there is sweet
repose.” Seeming to be faint, a friend gave him a little wine, thinking
it might refresh him, but his stomach could not bear it; then looking at
him he said, “Thou seest these things will not do; but one cup of new
wine in the heavenly kingdom, with my dear and blessed Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ, will make up all.”—For further particulars, see
Piety Promoted, vol. ii., p. 101-108.
39. John Taylor was an able minister amongst the early Friends, but
a very brief account is preserved of his religious labours. He was born
in Huntingdonshire (?) about the year 1638. He embarked on a gospel
mission to America in 1660, being then only in the twenty-second year of his
age. How long he was occupied there is not stated, but his religious
services were not confined to the English settlers. Trusting to the
never-failing arm of Divine guidance and protection, he travelled alone
among the Indian tribes, and “had meetings in the woods and wilderness,
to declare the truth to them,” as he remarks, “and to turn them
from darkness to the light of Christ Jesus in their own hearts.” By
these untutored sons of the forest the stripling preacher was “received
with kindness,” and in their wigwams he became a welcome guest.
“They heard me soberly,” he says, “and confessed to the truth I
spoke, by an interpreter; and they were loving and kind afterwards to
Friends.”
On his return from America, John Taylor, being on gospel service in
London, was taken from a meeting and committed to prison. He
visited America a second time, and resided some time in Jamaica, also
in Barbadoes, where he became a merchant, but finally returned to
England, and settled at York as a sugar refiner. After which, he was
also largely engaged in the ministry in different parts of the nation, and
died in 1708, aged about seventy, a minister about fifty years.
John Taylor is described by a contemporary as “an able minister of
the New Testament; in the publishing of which, the Spirit of God and
of glory rested upon him, to the comforting and true refreshment of the
churches, where the Lord ordered him, or his lot was cast.”
40. Robert Lodge, mentioned before, was of Masham, in Yorkshire,
born about the year 1636. He was religiously inclined from his youth,
was convinced about 1658, and became a valiant gospel minister. He
was very serviceable in gathering many out of the ways of the world,
into the way of life, travelling up and down in the service of his Lord,
enduring many trials, exercises, and imprisonments for his sake. John
Whiting says of him, “He was an excellent minister; he had a fine refreshing
testimony, and an extraordinary gift in prayer. He was instrumental
to turn many to righteousness, and to build them up in the most
holy faith. His testimony reached to the witness of God in the consciences
of many; and was a consolation to the watering and refreshing many
weary souls. He kept his first love and habitation in the truth to the last;
and, towards his latter end, laboured much with and for the young generation,
that they might come up in the footsteps of those who were gone
before. He was a man of a sweet disposition, and left a good savour
behind him.”him.” Much might be said of him, but I refer to the Several
Living Testimonies given forth by divers Friends concerning him, and his
Faithful Labours and Travels, printed in 1691.
41. The above is the last mention of Leonard Fell, whose name has
frequently occurred in the progress of this Journal. Very little is known
of him but that he was a faithful minister amongst the early Friends.
I feel inclined to insert an anecdote respecting him, as an instance among
others that might be adduced, of the carrying out of the non-resistant
principle. The conduct of several “Friends” who, having “fallen among
thieves,” were, of course, precluded from retaliating violence, even in
their own defence, affords an exemplification of this feature in the
Christian character.
Leonard Fell, when travelling alone, was attacked by a highwayman,
who demanded his money, which he gave him; then he desired to have
his horse: Leonard dismounted and let him take it. Then feeling the
power of truth rise in his mind, he turned to the robber, and under its
authority, solemnly warned him of the evil of his ways; but he flying
into a passion, asked the Friend why he preached to him, and threatened
to blow out his brains. But Leonard replying to this effect, “Though I
would not give my life for my money or my horse, I would give it to
save thy soul,” so struck the astonished robber, that he declared, if he
was such a man as that, he would take neither his money nor his horse
from him; and, returning both to the faithful Friend, went his way,
leaving Leonard to the enjoyment of that peace, attending the honest
discharge of his conscience, to obtain which he had not counted his
life dear.
The courage and presence of mind exhibited by a true soldier of
Jesus Christ, when permitted in the course of Divine Providence, to be
cast into straits and trying situations, is often conspicuous. He not
only knows the strength of that preserving arm, which rules or overrules
all circumstances for the good of those that are faithful, he not
only is furnished for all occasions, and “out of weakness is made strong,”
so as even to “stop the mouths of lions,” and “quench the violence of
fire” (Heb. xi.), but is abundantly furnished with resignation to submit
unto the Lord in all things; and, with one who was “in perils of
robbers,” and “in deaths oft,” he can say, “Whether we live or die, we
are the Lord’s.” (Rom. xiv. 8).—W.A.
42. A close intimacy existed between William Penn and George Fox,
which enabled the former to indite so admirable an introduction to
these volumes. The name of William Penn occurs frequently in these
pages. Scarcely any name is more generally known or respected, by those
of other religious persuasions than his; indeed, so familiar are most
readers with his history, that it would be superfluous to enter into much
relating to him.
It may suffice briefly to state that his birth and education were both
good; he being the son of Admiral Penn, who was knighted by Charles
II; and became a great favourite with the Duke of York, afterwards
James II. William, his son, was born at London in 1644. He imbibed
religious impressions as early as his twelfth year. In his fifteenth
year he entered a student at Christ Church, Oxford. On his return home
he exhibited a religious seriousness and manner of deportment, which
(as likely to stand in the way of his worldly preferment) was so displeasing
to his father that he turned him out of doors.
Ultimately he joined the despised Quakers, a step which highly displeased
his father the Admiral; but he became quite reconciled to him
before his death. Penn continued to advance in religious growth,
became a minister amongst the Quakers, and a considerable writer in
defence of their principles, suffering persecution and imprisonment in
consequence. It was whilst he was imprisoned in the Tower that he
wrote that excellent work, No Cross, No Crown.
The persecution of Dissenters continuing to rage in England, notwithstanding
their repeated applications to parliament for sufferance
and protection, William Penn turned his thoughts towards a settlement
in the New World, as a place where himself and his friends might
enjoy their religious opinions without molestation, and where an example
might be set to the nations of a just and righteous government. He
therefore, in 1681, obtained a patent from Charles II., for a province in
North America, in consideration of his father’s services, and of a debt
still due to him from the crown. He founded the colony of Pennsylvania,
and watched it with a paternal eye, till his death in 1718. Its
prosperity is a lasting monument of his wisdom as a politician and a
legislator. For further particulars the reader is referred to Clarkson’s
Life of William Penn; a highly interesting work, and well worthy of
perusal.
43. Elizabeth, Princess of the Rhine, was the eldest daughter of Frederick
V., Elector Palatine, and King of Bohemia—her mother being a
daughter of king James I. of England. This excellent princess is
spoken of as a woman of great amiability and religious character. She
possessed only a small territory; but she governed with great judgment,
and attention to the happiness of her subjects. She made it a rule to
hear, one day in the week, all such causes as were brought before her.
On these occasions, her wisdom, justice, and moderation were very conspicuous.
She frequently remitted forfeitures, in cases where the parties
were poor, or in any respect worthy of favour. It was remarkable that
she often introduced religious considerations, as motives to persuade the
contending parties to harmony and peace. She was greatly beloved and
respected by her subjects; and also by many persons of learning and
virtue not resident in her dominions; for she patronised men of this
character, whatever their country or their religious profession.
The respect in which this exemplary Christian held Friends and their
principles, was unreservedly expressed in her letters to individuals connected
with the English court; and her good offices were more than
once exerted to preserve this persecuted people from the penalties of
those laws which interdicted the exercise of public worship in conventicles,
as all meeting-houses were then denominated. William Penn and
Robert Barclay paid her two visits. She received them with great
openness, and was much affected by the interview which, on the second
visit, took place, as is related by William Penn. They went from
Amsterdam to Herwerden, the residence of the Princess and of her intimate
acquaintance, Anna Maria, Countess de Hornes, who dwelt much
in her house, and was, as well as herself, a woman seeking after the
best things, and a favourer of such (says Penn) as separate themselves
from the world for the sake of righteousness.
The visitors were welcomed by the Princess and her friend the day
after their arrival, and were invited to dine with them. They held a
religious meeting together, which was so satisfactory that the Princess
desired another might be appointed, at which several persons were
present. William Penn thus speaks of it:—“The eternal word showed
itself as a hammer this day; yea, sharper than a two-edged sword,
dividing asunder between the soul and the spirit, between the joints and
the marrow. Let my right hand forget its cunning, and my tongue
cleave to the roof of my mouth, when I shall forget the loving-kindness
of the Lord, and the sure mercies of our God, to us that day.” The
following day they paid two visits at this little court; and the day after,
which was the first of the week, they held a meeting there, appointed
by the direction of the Princess, which several others attended besides
those of her household. Of this meeting W. Penn says: “The quickening
power and life of Jesus wrought and reached them; and virtue
from him, in whom dwelleth the Godhead bodily, went forth.” After
this meeting, which was held late in the evening, the visitors took their
leave, but not before they had been witnesses of the tender disposition
of mind of the Princess; who, attempting to set forth her sense of the
power and presence of God prevalent among them, could not proceed,
but turned herself to the window, and said, “My heart is full, I cannot
speak to you.” W. Penn, on another occasion, says, “I cannot forget
her last words when I took my leave of her: ‘Let me desire you to remember
me, though I live at so great a distance, and you should never
see me more. I thank you for this good time. Be assured, though my
condition subjects me to divers temptations, yet my soul has strong
desires after the best things.’”
The Princess Elizabeth lived to the age of 60, departing this life in
1680, as much lamented, as she had been beloved, by her people.
44. This being the last mention of Robert Barclay in these volumes, the
following brief particulars may interest the reader who is not already
acquainted with his history. He was the son of Colonel David Barclay,
descended from the Barclays of Mathers, an ancient and honourable
Scotch family, and of Katharine Gordon, from the Gordons of the house
of the Duke of Gordon. He was born at Edinburgh in 1648, educated
in France, and returned to Scotland in 1664. His father having joined
the despised Quakers, Robert Barclay, though uninfluenced by him, soon
followed his example, and came forth a zealous witness for the truth,
receiving a gift in the ministry, in which he laboured to bring others to
God. He was much exercised in controversy, from the many contradictions
that fell upon truth, and upon him for its sake. He published
several works in defence of the principles he had espoused, which he
believed to be those of the New Testament, as promulgated by Christ
and his apostles. His chief work was his Apology for the True Christian
Divinity, which has gone through many editions, and remains uncontrovertible.
In common with the early Friends, Robert Barclay suffered imprisonments
and ill-usage, which he bore with exemplary patience. He
travelled extensively to spread the gospel of Christ, for he loved the
truth above all the world; not ashamed of it before men, but bold and
able in maintaining it, sound in judgment, strong in argument, of a
pleasant disposition, yet solid and exemplary in his conversation. He
was a learned man, a good Christian, an able minister, a tender and
careful father, and a good and kind neighbour and friend. His last
illness was short. James Dickenson of Cumberland, in his journey in
Scotland, visiting him when on his deathbed, as he sat by him, the
Lord’s power and presence bowed their hearts together, and Robert
Barclay was sweetly melted in the sense of God’s love, and, with tears,
expressed his love to all faithful brethren in England; and adding a
message of love to dear George Fox, he said, “God is good still, and
though I am under great weight of sickness and weakness as to my
body, yet my peace flows, and this I know, whatever exercises may be
permitted to come upon me, it shall tend to God’s glory and my salvation,
and in that I rest.”
He died at his own house, at Ury, in Scotland, in 1690, aged forty-two,
leaving behind him four sons and three daughters.
45. These ambassadors were deputies from the King of France, the
United Netherlands, and several other potentates of Europe, who met to
consult the peace of Christendom. George Fox’s Epistle to them was
translated and printed in Latin. Robert Barclay also wrote a treatise in
Latin, which was addressed and presented to each of the ambassadors,
with a copy of his principal work, An Apology for the True Christian
Divinity. In the former, Barclay strongly urged them to promote the
good work for which they were assembled, pointing out the true causes
of war, and its incompatibility with Christian principles. Before the
year ended, a peace was concluded.
46. William Penn also addressed the Council and Senate of the city of
Embden, relative to the sufferings of Friends there. Though these
appeals did not procure any immediate relief, yet, in about ten years
after, Friends enjoyed perfect liberty there.—See Sewell’s History, vol.
ii., 420-425.
47. It appears that Galenus Abrahams asserted that nobody in the present
day could be accepted as a messenger of God, unless he confirmed
his doctrine by miracles.—See Sewell’s History, vol. ii., 366-368.
48. For full particulars of the great intolerance and spirit of persecution
manifested by the Puritans of New England towards the Quakers, the
reader is referred to Bowden’s History of Friends in America, vol. v.,
from the commencement to p. 308.
49. Thomas Ellwood is only mentioned twice incidentally in these
volumes. It was he who, after the death of George Fox, transcribed
his journal for the press. (See Letters, &c., of Early Friends, p. 213.)
He was also the author of several works, including A Life of David, in
verse; a work on tithes; a Sacred History, &c. Ellwood was born in
1639, at Crowell, in Oxfordshire, and joined Friends when about twenty
years of age. Brought up in ease, luxury, and fashion, he had much to
learn; much to unlearn, much to forsake, of the manners, the pride,
and the will-worship of the world; and to follow after that plainness
and purity of life unto which the spirit of truth leads. Nothing but
religion could have enabled one, with a disposition naturally so high
and resolute as his, to submit, as he did, to buffetings, beatings, cruel
treatment, and persecution, with becoming meekness and patience.
In 1662, Ellwood became the companion of the poet Milton, and it was
he who suggested to the latter the writing of Paradise Regained. He
had a peculiar gift for government in the church, and was very serviceable
therein; an ornament to the meeting he belonged to, and much
missed when he died. According to his biographer, he was “a man of
comely aspect, of a free and generous disposition, of a courteous and
affable temper, and pleasant conversation; a gentleman born and bred;
a scholar, a true Christian, an eminent author, a good neighbour, a kind
friend.” He proved a very useful and acceptable elder in the church,
devoting nearly the whole of his time and talents to its service. He
died in 1713, and was buried at Jordans, leaving behind him a most
interesting autobiography, to which the reader is referred for further
particulars.
50. This being the last mention of Stephen Smith, it may be added,
that he was born in 1623, and being convinced in 1665, suffered both in
person and estate by imprisonment and spoiling of goods, for his testimony
on behalf of Christ. He was a man of account in the world, who,
in his younger years, travelled much abroad, having resided some time
at Scanderoon, in Syria, as a merchant, and afterwards published a work
called, Wholesome Advice and Information, wherein he shows how
much some of the Turks exceeded some Christians in their dealings.
He was an honest, upright man, one that feared God and was of good
report, being a preacher of righteousness in his daily conduct, ever
ready to do good. He became a valiant gospel minister, and spoke to
the comfort and encouragement of those that heard him, travelling in
many parts of England in gospel service. He died in peace at his own
house, near Guildford, in Surrey, in 1678. He wrote many serviceable
works, which were collected and published in an 8vo volume, entitled,
The True Light Discovered to all who Desire to Walk in the Day.
51. Lady Conway was a person of great piety, and a favourer of
Friends. In a letter to the learned and excellent Dr. Henry More, who
was her particular friend, she thus expresses herself concerning them:—
“Your conversation with them (the Friends) at London might be, as
you express it, charitably intended, like that of a physician frequenting
his patients for the increase or confirmation of their health; but I must
confess, that my converse with them is, to receive health and refreshment
from them.”—See Appendix to Barclay’s second edition of Isaac
Penington’s Letters, p. 311.
52. John Gratton was born about the year 1641. He was first brought
under religious conviction when he was a shepherd boy about eleven
years old, but he remained in a halting state till he attained to manhood,
after which he became more devoted in heart to the Lord. He was
brought into great grief on observing the instability of some professed
preachers of the gospel, in times of persecution. In 1670 he began to
preach among the Baptists, but soon left this people because they also
flinched in the day of trial, and becoming convinced of the soundness
of the principles held by Friends, and seeing their constancy under
suffering, he joined them in 1671. The third time he attended a
Friends’ meeting, he spoke under the constraining influence of the
Divine Spirit; and he soon became an able minister of Christ. He
often left his temporal concerns to make apostolic visits to various parts
of Great Britain and Ireland. He also suffered imprisonment for about
five years and a half for the gospel’s sake. His residence was for
many years at Monyash, in Derbyshire, but in 1708 he removed to Needham,
and resided with a daughter, at whose house he died in 1711, aged
68—a minister about forty years.
53. Richard Baker is described as a man of circumspect life, and a
pattern of good works. He suffered cheerfully for Christ both the
spoiling of his goods and imprisonment of his body; and would often
say, “If people did but know the pleasure of godliness, they would
not live in the earth as they did.” He was a zealous labourer, a
vigilant watchman, a sharp reprover of evil, an encourager of the good,
and a faithful minister, endeavouring to bring those he ministered to
into an inward exercise of spirit towards God, and to a greater acquaintance
with, and subjection to, the power of God. Concerning this he
wrote a treatise entitled, A Testimony to the Power of God, being Greater
than the Power of Satan.
He died in 1697, having often said in his last sickness, “All is well,”
and testified that the power and strength of God was with him.
54. There appear to have been at this time a number of Friends at
Algiers, who had been captured. In the early times of the Society
many of its members were seafaring men; and to such, of whatever
religious profession, it was no uncommon thing to be taken at sea by
the Algerines or other corsairs, who continually scoured the Mediterranean,
and ventured occasionally beyond its limits to make prize of
merchant ships, and consign their crews to slavery.
Great care was exercised towards these captive Friends by the
Society, and efforts made for their redemption. They are mentioned in
the Yearly Meeting epistles of 1682-1687, and in most of the succeeding
ones. In the epistle of 1698 it is stated, “Divers of our
Friends who were captives at Mequinez, and suffered great hardships
there, are dead; and there yet remain five, for whose ransom great endeavours
have been used, but it is not yet effected.” The epistle of the
following year states, “Earnest endeavours have again lately been used
for the liberty of our Friends, captives in Barbary, though not as yet
obtained; and there being at this time some negotiations on foot, by
the tenderness and care of the government, for the redemption of all
the English there; and though the persons in Barbary, employed therein
by Friends, do wait some time to see the effect of that, yet we shall
continue our further endeavours for their discharge, and in the meantime
take care to send them supplies for food, they having little
allowance in that country, of anything to support their bodies, under
the great severities of labour, and undeserved stripes, that captives often
endure.”
In the epistle of 1702 the conclusion of the Barbary captives is
stated, namely, that live Friends, being all who remained alive in that
long and sore captivity, have been this year redeemed, whose ransom
(including a Friend’s son from Pennsylvania) cost the Society upwards
of £480. The redeemed tenderly and gratefully acknowledged Friends’
love and care of them.
55. A schism, of which Story and Wilkinson were at the head, is
frequently referred to in the writings of some of the early Friends. It
commenced and spread mostly in the north. There were, however,
those in London, Bristol, and some southern counties, who, through ease
and unwatchfulness, having lost their first love and the discerning
spirit, were deceived by a specious bait, and became the cause of much
exercise and trouble to their brethren.
The ground of difference was alleged by them to be, their objection
to those meetings for regulating the affairs of the church, exercising a
salutary discipline over its members; and more especially against the
establishment of women’s meetings, which G. Fox and other Friends
“were moved to set up.” They stated, with a show of plausibility
which gained some, chiefly the looser sort, to their ranks, “That such
meetings were needless, some years having been passed in peace and
unity without them; and that every individual ought to be guided by
the Spirit, and left free to act; that meetings for discipline were a
form, and the exercise of that discipline an infringement upon individual
liberty.” Great endeavours were made for their enlightenment
and restoration. In 2nd Month, 1676, a meeting was held at Drawell,
which lasted four days, in which “many Friends laboured much for
their preservation, but they were too far gone in a separate spirit to be
reclaimed.” They, therefore, became out of unity with the body who,
“walking by the same rule, minded the same thing.” They fell to
jangling, and, after a while, the best among them came to see how they
had been deceived; and the rest, after having had separate meetings,
are said to have “vanished as snow in the fields.”—See Sewell’s History,
folio edition, pp. 583, 584.
56. William Mead is often mentioned in these pages; and his trial,
along with William Penn, is alluded to in a previous note. Of his life
and ministry we have much less account than of most others of note in
his day. George Fox sometimes calls him his son, he having married
Sarah, a daughter of Judge Fell; George Fox’s wife being her mother.
Before his joining Friends, William Mead appears to have been a captain
in the army. In his remarks in court on the term, vi et armis, during
his trial, he observes, “Time was when I had freedom to use a carnal
weapon, and then I thought I feared no man; but now I fear the living
God, and dare not make use thereof, nor hurt any man.” He died
1713, aged eighty-six.
57. Richard Davies—some account of whose life, written by himself,
was published after his decease, and a third edition of the volume in
1771—was convinced of the truth about the year 1657. He resided in
Montgomeryshire; and his life contains an interesting account of the
first spreading of truth in Wales. Richard Davies was a faithful minister
of the gospel, endued with spiritual gifts, and serviceable in the exercise
thereof in the churches of Christ; sound in doctrine, and exemplary in
conversation.
58. Frequent mention being made by George Fox of his being engaged
with his pen on behalf of the truth, it may be well to apprize the reader
that these volumes contain only a very small portion of his writings.
Many others of his works were collected and printed in 1706, forming a
large volume, entitled, Gospel Truth Demonstrated, in a collection of
Doctrinal Books, given forth by that faithful minister of Jesus Christ,
George Fox, &c. This collection consists of above 1000 folio pages,
comprising about 160 pieces, the dates from 1653-1689.
In addition to treatises in explanation or defence of the principles and
doctrines taught by George Fox, this volume contains many others of a
more extended character. There are three addressed to the Jews; and
papers in behalf of the doctrine of the gospel, and against persecution,
to be delivered to the following rulers:—The Great Turk, the magistrates
of Malta, the Emperor of Austria, the Kings of France and Spain,
the Pope, and the Emperor of China. And in 1688, Sultan Mahomet IV.
having sent a defiance to the Emperor Leopold in his Christian character,
threatening to ruin him, and pursue his crucified God, George Fox wrote
a Reply to this public document; warning the Turk to fear the great
God that made him and all things, and showing him out of their Koran,
that the founder of their religion wrote more respectfully of Christ:
whom he then proceeds to set forth to the notice of the Sultan by
citations from the Scriptures.
In the books and treatises forming the above collection, the doctrine
of our blessed Lord, and those matters essential to salvation and true
Christianity, are plainly asserted and fully demonstrated according to
the Scriptures. For although he gave preference to the Holy Spirit (as
all true spiritual Christians do), yet his true love to, and sincere esteem
of, the Holy Scriptures (as being given by Divine inspiration), is clearly
manifest; 1st, In his frequent advice to Friends to keep to Scripture
language, terms, words, and doctrines, as taught by the Holy Ghost, in
matters of faith, religion, controversy, and conversation; and not to be
imposed upon and drawn into unscriptural terms, invented by men in
their human wisdom. 2nd, In his great industry in searching the Scriptures,
and frequently quoting, reciting, aptly applying and opening the
same in his writings, as appears in the above-named work. He truly
testified, both in his ministry and writings, of Christ Jesus, his power,
and coming, in the flesh and in the spirit. He was both for the sacred
history and mystery of Christ revealed according to the Scripture testimonies
of him, respecting his sufferings without, the work of his power
within, and his kingdom and glory; and, under his guidance, he faithfully
warred against the spirit of Antichrist and persecution—against
the false church—the corruptions of the world, its deceit and hypocrisy,
under all professions.
59. William Bingley became a minister among Friends while residing
in Yorkshire, and visited Ireland in 1675 and in 1682. He settled in
London as a stuff merchant when in the meridian of life; and in 1684
accompanied Samuel Waldenfield on an apostolic journey in Holland
and the Netherlands. He was one of the Friends who preached at the
funeral of George Fox, in 1690-91; and he appears to have paid religious
visits to different parts of Great Britain at various periods. He died in
London in 1714, aged 64 years.
60. Samuel Waldenfield, born at Edmondsbury, in Suffolk, in 1652, was
religiously inclined in his youth, and a hearer of the Independents.
But becoming convinced of the principles of truth, as held by Friends,
about the year 1670, he came forth a powerful preacher of the word of
life; and, with the Lord’s blessing on his labours, many were convinced of
the truth, and turned from darkness to light, and from the power of
Satan unto God, and were as the seals of his ministry. In 1684 he
married, and settled in London, continuing faithful and diligent in the
work he was called unto; and suffered for his testimony by imprisonment,
&c. His travels on gospel service, to the year 1700 were near
40,000 miles, which were also, subsequently, very considerable. Samuel
Waldenfield is spoken of as being very considerate of the poor, humble,
and merciful, and as an elder worthy of double honour. He was a
bright ornament to our religion in his conversation, gaining great
reputation to truth and Friends among rich and poor. He was ill about
two months before his decease, during which time he uttered many
expressions worthy of being noted. He died in great peace in 1715.—See
Piety Promoted, vol. ii., pp. 248-252.
61. After returning from his last visit to Holland, George Fox did not
travel far from London, his usual residence during the latter part of his
life. His health had been gradually declining for some years, in consequence
of his many and grievous imprisonments, and the great fatigue
of body and mind, occasioned by his long travels for the promotion of
the cause of truth, and by his incessant labours in “defence of the
gospel” against the clamour and opposition of apostate brethren, and
the unfounded imputations of others, decidedly hostile to the truth as it
is in Jesus. His solicitude, however, to promote the welfare of the
Society, and procure relief to his Friends under suffering, both at home
and abroad, remained undiminished. In the course of his declining state,
he wrote many epistles to his friends, some of sympathy and consolation,
to encourage and strengthen them in their deep sufferings; others
of counsel, exhortation, and reproof, “stirring up the pure mind by way
of remembrance,” and labouring to build them up in the most holy faith;
and, on all occasions, seeking not his own honour, but the honour of God
only, and the edification of his church and people.
62. Those Christians whose experience enters most deeply into the
spiritual nature of the gospel dispensation, will find that it leads them
into simplicity as regards their outward appearance. The practice in
the primitive church, as regards “outward adorning,” is thus spoken of
by Coleman, in his Antiquities of the Christian Church:—
“Nothing may appear more purely a matter of indifference than the
fashion and colour of dress; and yet, in the circumstances of the primitive
Christians, articles of that nature did acquire such an importance
that they gradually fell into a style of clothing peculiar to themselves.
Not that they affected any singularities in their personal appearance, for
their habiliments were made and worn in the ordinary fashion of the
time and place: and Christians, whether found in the high, the middle,
or the lower ranks, were accustomed to equip themselves in a manner
suited to the decencies of the state or profession to which they belonged;
but, looking to the moral influence of dress, and desirous of
avoiding everything that might minister to vanity, or lead the wearer to
forget, in attending to the outward man, the ornament of a ‘meek and
quiet spirit,’ they studiously rejected all finery as unbecoming the
humility of their character, and confined themselves to a suit of apparel,
remarkable not so much for the plainness of the material as for the
absence of all superfluous ornament. Everything gaudy or sumptuous,
that partook of the costly stuffs or the crimson dyes that suited the
luxurious taste of the times, was discountenanced by the spiritually-minded
followers of Christ. The same simplicity reigned throughout
their domestic establishments; and even those of their number who
were persons of rank and opulence, chose to content themselves with
such things as were recommended by their utility rather than their
elegance, and calculated to answer the purposes of necessity and comfort,
rather than to gratify ‘the lust of the eye, and the pride of life.’
And however refined or exquisiteexquisite the taste, which, through education and
the habits of society, any of them had acquired, they learned to subject
it to the higher principle of denying themselves to everything that
tended too much to captivate the senses, and increase their love to a
world, the fashion whereof, they thought, was soon to pass away.”
The remarks of John Wesley on simplicity in dress are excellent, but
too long to be quoted here. He says that “following the fashions of
the world is directly at war with the spirit of the gospel.” See Select
Miscellanies, vol. v., p. 288, for Wesley’s views on this subject; also of
T. à Kempis, and others.
63. William Caton, whose service was much in Holland, died at
Amsterdam in 1665. He was one of the earliest associates of George
Fox, being convinced by him in 1652, and is often mentioned in the
earlier part of this Journal. He was not only a literary man, but
zealous for religion; and being of a courteous and affable disposition,
was in general esteem. When about fourteen years of age he went to
reside in Judge Fell’s family at Swarthmore Hall, as a companion for
his son, sharing with him, both in instruction and recreation. He was
very early inclined to religion, and, as he grew in years, he advanced in
godliness.
After joining Friends, he travelled considerably as a gospel
minister, and underwent many sufferings for Christ’s sake. At Maidstone,
in 1654, he and another Friend were stripped, their necks and
arms put in the stocks, and, in that condition, they were desperately
whipped. At Yarmouth he was, with seven other Friends, taken from
a religious meeting on the first day of the week, and confined six
months in prison.
A valuable collection of letters of early Friends was met with at
Swarthmore some years ago, written nearly throughout by William
Caton, and appears to have been intended by him for publication. It
has a title page, dated Swarthmore, 23rd of 6th Month, 1659; and a
preface signed by himself, dated 7th of 2nd Month, 1660. The life of
Caton, George Fox mentions as having been printed, was re-published in
1839, by John Barclay, forming one of the Select Series, to which the
reader is referred for further particulars.
64. The sufferings of Friends in Ireland at this time were very great.
The havoc and spoil they underwent were enormous, as related by the
historians Sewell and Rutty, and more minutely by Besse, in his Collection
of Sufferings, to which allusion has been made before, and to which
the reader is now finally referred. The loss sustained by Friends from
persecution in a single year (1689) was estimated at £100,000, many
being deprived of all their substance. Great numbers were immured
for years in prison, and many died there for Christ’s sake. Others when
there was a prospect of their being released, because they could not
satisfy the unjust demand of fees, as having done no wrong (thus
bravely, though passively, asserting their Christian liberty,) were either
detained or stripped of their clothes, and turned out.
Surrounded as they were with perils on every hand, they placed their
confidence in Divine protection; and in the worst times of trial, when
not in prison, they kept up their meetings for worship, as well as
discipline; collected at the latter the accounts of the sufferings of their
members, and took what care they could for their relief.
65. (It was Thomas Ellwood who first transcribed this Journal for the press.
See note at p. 211, Seventh Edition, vol. ii.)
66. The second volume has “Thomas B. Town and Co., Printers.”
Transcriber’s Note
Where particularly ambiguous errors occur, a link has been added
to direct the reader to the relevant transcriber note.
The handling of hyphenation of compound words across line breaks is
governed by the frequency with which they are hyphenated midline.
‘Steeple-house’ is nearly always hyphenated in midline, and the few
outliers that were not have been corrected. ‘Steeplehouse’ occurs
consistently in the Index.
The punctuation of the various indexes had a number of lapses, which
have been corrected with no further notice here.
As one can see from the list below, the printer was not consistent
in the use of the opening quote mark in long, multi-paragraph
passages. There were also a number of occasions where a closing quote
mark either was missing or illogically added. On rarer occasions, a
single quote was employed matching a double quote (and vice versa).
These have been added where missing, removed where they were deemed spurious,
and corrected where appropriate.
A remark at 103.15 reads more logically if a nested,
single-quoted phrase (‘whether they can swear in any
other case, as for their cow or horse;[’]...) is closed after ‘horse’,
rather than two lines later at 103.17, (...bear witness
to the truth.[’]”).
At 429.12, a close paraphrase of Rev. 16-17, is mispunctuated.
The passage is best ‘fixed’ by removing the single quote before
‘wretched, pitiful...’.
At 430.9 a single quote appears to have been misplaced (and turned).
So (...tithes, ‘did...) makes more sense as (...tithes,’ did...).
At 396.10, the title of a ‘small book’, “The Saints’
heavenly and spiritual worship, unity, and communion, &c., wherein...”,
ends after a lengthy subtitle beginning with ‘wherein’. The use
of ‘&c.’ could seen as an ellision of the title, with the
remaining text simply a description. Modern references replace
the ‘&c.’ with ellipses, and end there.
At 406.28, a closing quote has no opening. However, rhe entire
phrase is a close paraphrase of Joel ii. 28, and the quote has
been removed.
At 564.51, an index reference for Francis Howgill includes page
number without an indication of volume: ‘with G. Fox at Swarthmore,
99, i. 471’. Howgill is not mentioned on page 99 of either volume.
At 590.14, the index entry for ‘Sufferings’ refers the reader to a topic (‘Imprisonments’)
which does not exist.
At 580.37, an asterisk was added ([*]Vice, The, ...) to denote
that one of the references is to a footnote in Volume I.
When an index topic references footnotes, the page number is italicized.
The following starred page references:
(560.45) ii. 198,
(565.10) ii. 166,
(577.15) i. 149,
(589.11) i. 171,
(590.9) i. 530,
refer to a page where there is no relevant footnote,
but the topic may be mentioned in the text itself.
At 589.9, an index topic for ‘Soldiers’, includes a reference to ‘Edmundson’. There
are two Edmundsons, John and William, neither of whom are characterized
as ex-soldiers, unlike the others in the list.
Other errors, deemed most likely to be the printer’s, have been corrected, and
are noted here. The references are to the page and line in the original.
