Being again at liberty, I went on, as before, in the work of the Lord,
passing through the country into Leicestershire, having meetings as I went;
and the Lord's Spirit and power accompanied me.
As I was walking with several Friends, I lifted up my head and saw three
steeple-house spires, and they struck at my life. I asked them what place
that was. They said, "Lichfield." Immediately the Word of the
Lord came to me that I must go thither. Being come to the house we were
going to, I wished the Friends to walk into the house, saying nothing to
them of whither I was to go. As soon as they were gone I stepped away, and
went by my eye over hedge and ditch till I came within a mile of Lichfield,
where, in a great field, shepherds were keeping their sheep.
Then was I commanded by the Lord to pull off my shoes. I stood still, for
it was winter; and the Word of the Lord was like a fire in me. So I put
off my shoes, and left them with the shepherds; and the poor shepherds trembled,
and were astonished. Then I walked on about a mile, and as soon as I was
got within the city, the Word of the Lord came to me again, saying, "Cry,
'Woe to the bloody city of Lichfield!'" So I went up and down the streets,
crying with a loud voice, "Woe to the bloody city of Lichfield!"
It being market-day, I went into the market-place, and to and fro in the
several parts of it, and made stands, crying as before, "Woe to the
bloody city of Lichfield!" And no one laid hands on me.
As I went thus crying through the streets, there seemed to me to be a channel
of blood running down the streets, and the market-place appeared like a
pool of blood.
When I had declared what was upon me, and felt myself clear, I went out
of the town in peace, and, returning to the shepherds, I gave them some
money, and took my shoes of them again. But the fire of the Lord was so
in my feet, and all over me, that I did not matter to put on my shoes again,
and was at a stand whether I should or no, till I felt freedom from the
Lord so to do; then, after I had washed my feet, I put on my shoes again.
After this a deep consideration came upon me, for what reason I should be
sent to cry against that city, and call it the bloody city! For, though
the Parliament had had the minster one while, and the King another, and
much blood had been shed in the town during the wars between them, yet that
was no more than had befallen many other places. But afterwards I came to
understand, that in the Emperor Diocletian's time a thousand Christians
were martyred in Lichfield.
Passing on, I was moved of the Lord to go to Beverley steeple-house, which
was then a place of high profession; and being very wet with rain, I went
first to an inn. As soon as I came to the door, a young woman of the house
came to the door, and said, "What, is it you? come in," as if
she had known me before; for the Lord's power bowed their hearts. So I refreshed
myself and went to bed; and in the morning, my clothes being still wet,
I got ready, and having paid for what I had had in the inn, I went up to
the steeple-house, where was a man preaching. When he had done, I was moved
to speak to him, and to the people, in the mighty power of God, and to turn
them to their teacher, Christ Jesus. The power of the Lord was so strong,
that it struck a mighty dread amongst the people. The mayor came and spoke
a few words to me; but none of them had any power to meddle with me.
So I passed away out of the town, and in the afternoon went to another steeple-house
about two miles off. When the priest had done, I was moved to speak to him,
and to the people very largely, showing them the way of life and truth,
and the ground of election and reprobation. The priest said he was but a
child, and could not dispute with me. I told him I did not come to dispute,
but to hold forth the Word of life and truth unto them, that they might
all know the one Seed, to which the promise of God was given, both in the
male and in the female. Here the people were very loving, and would have
had me come again on a week-day, and preach among them; but I directed them
to their teacher, Christ Jesus, and so passed away.
The next day I went to Cranswick, to Captain Pursloe's, who accompanied
me to Justice Hotham's. This Justice Hotham was a tender man, one that had
had some experience of God's workings in his heart. After some discourse
with him of the things of God, he took me into his closet, where, sitting
with me, he told me he had known that principle these ten years, and was
glad that the Lord did now publish it abroad to the people. After a while
there came a priest to visit him, with whom also I had some discourse concerning
the Truth. But his mouth was quickly stopped, for he was nothing but a notionist,
and not in possession of what he talked of.
While I was here, there came a great woman of Beverley to speak to Justice
Hotham about some business; and in discourse she told him that the last
Sabbath-day (as she called it) there came an angel or spirit into the church
at Beverley, and spoke the wonderful things of God, to the astonishment
of all that were there; and when it had done, it passed away, and they did
not know whence it came, nor whither it went; but it astonished all, --
priest, professors, and magistrates of the town. This relation Justice Hotham
gave me afterwards, and then I gave him an account of how I had been that
day at Beverley steeple-house, and had declared truth to the priest and
people there.
I went to another steeple-house about three miles off, where preached a
great high-priest, called a doctor, one of them whom Justice Hotham would
have sent for to speak with me. I went into the steeple-house, and stayed
till the priest had done. The words which he took for his text were these,
"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath
no money, come ye, buy and eat, yea come, buy wine and milk without money
and without price."
Then was I moved of the Lord God to say unto him, "Come down, thou
deceiver; dost thou bid people come freely, and take of the water of life
freely, and yet thou takest three hundred pounds a year of them for preaching
the Scriptures to them. Mayest thou not blush for shame? Did the prophet
Isaiah, and Christ do so, who spoke the words, and gave them forth freely?
Did not Christ say to His ministers, whom He sent to preach, 'Freely ye
have received, freely give'?"
The priest, like a man amazed, hastened away. After he had left his flock,
I had as much time as I could desire to speak to the people; and I directed
them from the darkness to the Light, and to the grace of God, that would
teach them, and bring them salvation; to the Spirit of God in their inward
parts, which would be a free teacher unto them.
Having cleared myself amongst the people, I returned to Justice Hotham's
house that night. When I came in he took me in his arms, and said his house
was my house; for he was exceedingly glad of the work of the Lord, and that
His power was revealed.
Thence I passed on through the country, and came at night to an inn where
was a company of rude people. I bade the woman of the house, if she had
any meat, to bring me some; but because I said Thee and Thou to her, she
looked strangely on me. I asked her if she had any milk. She said, No. I
was sensible she spake falsely; and, being willing to try her further, I
asked her if she had any cream? She denied that she had any.
There stood a churn in the room, and a little boy, playing about, put his
hands into it and pulled it down, and threw all the cream on the floor before
my eyes. Thus was the woman manifested to be a liar. She was amazed, blessed
herself, took up the child, and whipped it sorely: but I reproved her for
her lying and deceit. After the Lord had thus discovered her deceit and
perverseness, I walked out of the house, and went away till I came to a
stack of hay, and lay in the hay-stack that night, in rain and snow, it
being but three days before the time called Christmas.
The next day I came into York, where were several very tender people. Upon
the First-day following, I was commanded of the Lord to go and speak to
priest Bowles and his hearers in their great cathedral. Accordingly I went.
When the priest had done, I told them I had something from the Lord God
to speak to the priest and people. "Then say on quickly," said
a professor, for there was frost and snow, and it was very cold weather.
Then I told them that this was the Word of the Lord God unto them, -- that
they lived in words, but God Almighty looked for fruits amongst them.
As soon as the words were out of my mouth, they hurried me out, and threw
me down the steps. But I got up again without hurt, and went to my lodging,
and several were convinced there. For that which arose from the weight and
oppression that was upon the Spirit of God in me, would open people, strike
them, and make them confess that the groans which broke forth through me
did reach them, for my life was burthened with their profession without
possession, and their words without fruit.
[After being thus violently tumbled down the steps of the great minster,
George Fox found his next few days crowded with hot discussion. Papists
and Ranters and Scotch "priests" made him stand forth for the
hope that was in him. The Ranters, he says, "had spent their portions,
and not living in that which they spake of, were now become dry. They had
some kind of meetings, but they took tobacco and drank ale in their meetings
and were grown light and loose." After the narrative of an attempt
to push him over the cliffs the account continues.]
Another priest sent to have a dispute with me, and Friends went with me
to the house where he was; but when he understood we were come, he slipped
out of the house, and hid himself under an hedge. The people went and found
him, but could not get him to come to us.
Then I went to a steeple-house hard by, where the priest and people were
in a great rage. This priest had threatened Friends what he would do; but
when I came he fled; for the Lord's power came over him and them. Yea, the
Lord's everlasting power was over the world, and reached to the hearts of
people, and made both priests and professors tremble. It shook the earthly
and airy spirit in which they held their profession of religion and worship;
so that it was a dreadful thing to them when it was told them, "The
man in leathern breeches is come." At the hearing thereof the priests
in many places got out of the way, they were so struck with the dread of
the eternal power of God; and fear surprised the hypocrites.
[At Pickering he stood in "the steeple-house yard"
and told the people what his mission was, with as clear a claim to a divine
commission as a Hebrew prophet would have made.]
I was sent of the Lord God of heaven and earth to preach freely, and to
bring people off from these outward temples made with hands, which God dwelleth
not in; that they might know their bodies to become the temples of God and
of Christ; and to draw people off from all their superstitious ceremonies,
Jewish and heathenish customs, traditions, and doctrines of men; and from
all the world's hireling teachers, that take tithes and great wages, preaching
for hire, and divining for money, whom God and Christ never sent, as themselves
confess when they say that they never heard God's nor Christ's voice. I
exhorted the people to come off from all these things, directing them to
the Spirit and grace of God in themselves, and to the Light of Jesus in
their own hearts; that they might come to know Christ, their free teacher,
to bring them salvation, and to open the Scriptures to them.
Thus the Lord gave me a good opportunity to open things largely unto them.
All was quiet, and many were convinced; blessed be the Lord.
I passed to another town, where was another great meeting, the old priest
being with me; and there came professors of several sorts to it. I sat on
a haystack, and spoke nothing for some hours; for I was to famish them from
words. The professors would ever and anon be speaking to the old priest,
and asking him when I would begin, and when I would speak? He bade them
wait; and told them that the people waited upon Christ a long while before
He spoke.
At last I was moved of the Lord to speak; and they were struck by the Lord's
power. The Word of life reached to them, and there was a general convincement
amongst them.
Now I came towards Cranswick, to Captain Pursloe's and Justice Hotham's,
who received me kindly, being glad that the Lord's power had so appeared;
that truth was spread, and so many had received it. Justice Hotham said
that if God had not raised up this principle of Light and life which I preached,
the nation would have been overrun with Ranterism, and all the justices
in the nation could not have stopped it with all their laws; "Because,"
said he, "they would have said as we said, and done as we commanded,
and yet have kept their own principle still. But this principle of truth,"
said he, "overthrows their principle, and the root and ground thereof";
and therefore he was glad the Lord had raised up this principle of life
and truth.
The next day Friends and friendly people having left me, I travelled alone,
declaring the day of the Lord amongst people in the towns where I came,
and warning them to repent. I came towards night into a town called Patrington.
As I walked along the town, I warned both priest and people (for the priest
was in the street) to repent and turn to the Lord. It grew dark before I
came to the end of the town, and a multitude of people gathered about me,
to whom I declared the Word of life.
When I had cleared myself I went to an inn, and desired them to let me have
a lodging; but they would not. I desired a little meat or milk, and said
I would pay for it; but they refused. So I walked out of the town, and a
company of fellows followed, and asked me, "What news?" I bade
them repent, and fear the Lord.
After I was gone a pretty way, I came to another house, and desired the
people to let me have a little meat, drink, and lodging for my money; but
they denied me. I went to another house, and desired the same; but they
refused me also. By this time it was grown so dark that I could not see
the highway; but I discerned a ditch, and got a little water, and refreshed
myself. Then I got over the ditch; and, being weary with travelling, I sat
down amongst the furze bushes till it was day.
About break of day I got up, and passed on over the fields. A man came after
me with a great pikestaff and went along with me to a town; and he raised
the town upon me, with the constable and chief constable, before the sun
was up. I declared God's everlasting truth amongst them, warning them of
the day of the Lord, that was coming upon all sin and wickedness; and exhorted
them to repent. But they seized me, and had me back to Patrington, about
three miles, guarding me with watch-bills, pikes, staves, and halberds.
When I was come to Patrington, all the town was in an uproar, and the priest
and constables were consulting together; so I had another opportunity to
declare the Word of life amongst them, and warn them to repent. At last
a professor, a tender man, called me into his house, and there I took a
little milk and bread, having not eaten for some days before. Then they
guarded me about nine miles to a justice.
When I was come near his house, a man came riding after us, and asked me
whether I was the man that was apprehended. I asked him wherefore he asked.
He said, "For no hurt." I told him I was: so he rode away to the
justice before us. The men that guarded me said it would be well if the
justice were not drunk before we got to him; for he used to get drunk early.
When I was brought in before him, because I did not put off my hat, and
because I said Thou to him, he asked the man that rode thither before me
whether I was not mazed or fond. The man told him, No; it was my principle.
I warned him to repent, and come to the Light with which Christ had enlightened
him; that by it he might see all his evil words and actions, and turn to
Christ Jesus whilst he had time; and that whilst he had time he should prize
it. "Ay, ay," said he, "the Light that is spoken of in the
third of John." I desired he would mind it, and obey it.
As I admonished him, I laid my hand upon him, and he was brought down by
the power of the Lord; and all the watchmen stood amazed. Then he took me
into a little parlour with the other man, and desired to see what I had
in my pockets of letters or intelligence. I plucked out my linen, and showed
him I had no letters. He said, "He is not a vagrant, by his linen";
then he set me at liberty.
I went back to Patrington with the man that had rode before me to the justice:
for he lived at Patrington. When I came there, he would have had me have
a meeting at the Cross; but I said it was no matter; his house would serve.
He desired me to go to bed, or lie down upon a bed; which he did, that they
might say they had seen me in a bed, or upon a bed; for a report had been
raised that I would not lie on any bed, because at that time I lay many
times out of doors. Now when the First-day of the week was come, I went
to the steeple-house, and declared the truth to the priest and people; and
the people did not molest me, for the power of God was come over them. Presently
after I had a great meeting at the man's house where I lay, and many were
convinced of the Lord's everlasting truth, who stand faithful witnesses
of it to this day. They were exceedingly grieved that they had not received
me, nor given me lodging, when I was there before.
Thence I travelled through the country, even to the furthest part thereof,
warning people, in towns and villages, to repent, and directing them to
Christ Jesus, their teacher.
On the First-day of the week I came to one Colonel Overton's house, and
had a great meeting of the prime of the people of that country; where many
things were opened out of the Scriptures which they had never heard before.
Many were convinced, and received the Word of life, and were settled in
the truth of God.
Then I returned to Patrington again, and visited those Friends that were
convinced there; by whom I understood that a tailor, and some wild blades
in that town, had occasioned my being carried before the justice. The tailor
came to ask my forgiveness, fearing I would complain of him. The constables
also were afraid, lest I should trouble them. But I forgave them all, and
warned them to turn to the Lord, and to amend their lives.
Now that which made them the more afraid was this: when I was in the steeple-house
at Oram, not long before, there came a professor, who gave me a push on
the breast in the steeple-house, and bade me get out of the church. "Alas,
poor man!" said I, "dost thou call the steeple-house the Church?
The Church is the people, whom God hath purchased with His blood, and not
the house." It happened that Justice Hotham came to hear of this man's
abuse, sent his warrant for him, and bound him over to the sessions; so
affected was he with the Truth and so zealous to keep the peace. And indeed
this Justice Hotham had asked me before whether any people had meddled with
me, or abused me; but I was not at liberty to tell him anything of that
kind, but was to forgive all.
The next First-day I went to Tickhill, whither the Friends of that side
gathered together, and a mighty brokenness by the power of God there was
amongst the people. I went out of the meeting, being moved of God to go
to the steeple-house. When I came there, I found the priest and most of
the chief of the parish together in the chancel.
I went up to them, and began to speak; but they immediately fell upon me;
the clerk up with his Bible, as I was speaking, and struck me on the face
with it, so that my face gushed out with blood; and I bled exceedingly in
the steeple-house. The people cried, "Let us have him out of the church."
When they had got me out, they beat me exceedingly, threw me down, and turned
me over a hedge. They afterwards dragged me through a house into the street,
stoning and beating me as they dragged me along; so that I was all over
besmeared with blood and dirt. They got my hat from me, which I never had
again. Yet when I was got upon my legs, I declared the Word of life, showed
them the fruits of their teacher, and how they dishonored Christianity.
After awhile I got into the meeting again amongst Friends, and the priest
and people coming by the house, I went with Friends into the yard, and there
spoke to the priest and people. The priest scoffed at us, and called us
Quakers. But the Lord's power was so over them, and the Word of life was
declared in such authority and dread to them, that the priest fell a-trembling
himself; and one of the people said, "Look how the priest trembles
and shakes; he is turned a Quaker also."
When the meeting was over, Friends departed; and I went without my hat to
Balby, about seven or eight miles. Friends were much abused that day by
the priest and his people: insomuch that some moderate justices hearing
of it, two or three of them came and sat at the town to examine the business.
He that had shed my blood was afraid of having his hand cut off for striking
me in the church, as they called it; but I forgave him, and would not appear
against him.
Thence I went to Wakefield; and on the First-day after, I went to a steeple-house
where James Nayler had been a member of an Independent church; but upon
his receiving truth, he was excommunicated. When I came in, and the priest
had done, the people called upon me to come up to the priest, which I did;
but when I began to declare the Word of life to them, and to lay open the
deceit of the priest, they rushed upon me suddenly, thrust me out at the
other door, punching and beating me, and cried, "Let us have him to
the stocks." But the Lord's power restrained them, that they were not
suffered to put me in.
So I passed away to the meeting, where were a great many professors and
friendly people gathered, and a great convincement there was that day; for
the people were mightily satisfied that they were directed to the Lord's
teaching in themselves. Here we got some lodging; for four of us
had lain under a hedge the night before, there being then few Friends in
that place.
The priest of that church, of which James Nayler had been a member, whose
name was Marshall, raised many wicked slanders about me, as that I carried
bottles with me, and made people drink of them, which made them follow me;
and that I rode upon a great black horse, and was seen in one country upon
it in one hour, and at the same hour in another country threescore miles
off; and that I would give a fellow money to follow me, when I was on my
black horse. With these lies he fed his people, to make them think evil
of the truth which I had declared amongst them. But by these lies he preached
many of his hearers away from him; for I was then travelling on foot, and
had no horse at that time; which the people generally knew.
As we travelled through the country, preaching repentance to the people,
we came into a market-town, where a lecture was held that day. I went into
the steeple-house, where many priests, professors and people were. The priest
that preached took for his text those words of Jeremiah 5:31, "My people
love to have it so": leaving out the foregoing words, viz.: "The
prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means."
I showed the people his deceit; and directed them to Christ, the true teacher
within; declaring that God was come to teach His people himself, and to
bring them off from all the world's teachers and hirelings; that they might
come to receive freely from Him. Then, warning them of the day of the Lord
that was coming upon all flesh, I passed thence without much opposition.
At night we came to a country place, where there was no public house near.
The people desired us to stay all night; which we did, and had good service
for the Lord, declaring His truth amongst them.
The Lord had said unto me that if but one man or woman were raised by His
power to stand and live in the same Spirit that the prophets and apostles
were in who gave forth the Scriptures, that man or woman should shake all
the country in their profession for ten miles round. For people had the
Scripture, but were not in the same Light, power, and Spirit which those
were in who gave forth the Scripture; so they neither knew God, Christ,
nor the Scriptures aright; nor had they unity one with another, being out
of the power and Spirit of God. Therefore we warned all, wherever we met
them, of the day of the Lord that was coming upon them. |