But that day the Lord's power sounded so in their ears, that they were amazed at the voice; and could not get it out of their ears for some time after, they were so reached by the Lord's power in the steeple-house. At night they took me before the mayor(1), aldermen, and sheriffs of the town; and when I was brought before them, the mayor was in a peevish, fretful temper, but the Lord's power allayed him. They examined me at large; and I told them how the Lord had moved me to come. After some discourse between them and me, they sent me back to prison again; but some time after the head sheriff, whose name was John Reckless, sent for me to his house. When I came in, his wife met me in the hall, and said, "Salvation is come to our house." She took me by the hand, and was much wrought upon by the power of the Lord God; and her husband, and children, and servants were much changed, for the power of the Lord wrought upon them. I lodged at the sheriff's, and great meetings we had in his house. Some persons of considerable condition in the world came to them, and the Lord's power appeared eminently amongst them. This sheriff sent for the other sheriff, and for a woman they had had dealings with in the way of trade; and he told her before the other sheriff that they had wronged her in their dealings with her (for the other sheriff and he were partners), and that they ought to make her restitution. This he spake cheerfully; but the other sheriff denied it; and the woman said she knew nothing of it. But the friendly sheriff said it was so, and that the other knew it well enough; and having discovered the matter, and acknowledged the wrong done by them, he made restitution to the woman, and exhorted the other sheriff to do the like.
The Lord's power was with this friendly sheriff and wrought a mighty change in him, and great
openings he had. The next market-day, as he was walking with me in the chamber, in his slippers,
he said, "I must go into the market, and preach repentance to the people"; and accordingly he
went in his slippers into the market, and into several streets, and preached repentance to the
people. Several others also in the town were moved to speak to the mayor and magistrates, anal
to the people, exhorting them to repent. Hereupon the magistrates grew very angry, and sent for
me from the sheriff's house, and committed me to the common prison. When the Assize came on,
there was one moved to come and offer up himself for me, body for body, yea, life also; but when
I should have been brought before the judge, the sheriff's man being somewhat long in fetching me
to the Sessions-house, the judge was risen before I came. At which I understood the judge was
somewhat offended, and said he would have admonished the youth, if he had been brought before
him; for I was then imprisoned by the name of a youth. I was returned to prison again, and put
into the common jail. The Lord's power was great among Friends; but the people began to be very
rude; wherefore the governor of the castle(2) sent down soldiers and dispersed them; and after that
they were quiet. But both priests and people were astonished at the Wonderful power that brake
forth; and several of the priests were made tender, and some did confess to the power of the
Lord.
Now after I was released from Nottingham jail, where I had been kept prisoner some time, I travelled as before, in the work of the Lord. Coming to Mansfield-Woodhouse, there was a distracted woman under a doctor's hand, with her hair loose all about her ears. He was about to bleed her, she being first bound, and many people being about her, holding her by violence; but he could get no blood from her. I desired them to unbind her, and let her alone, for they could not touch the spirit in her, by which she was tormented. So they unbound her; and I was moved to speak to her, and in the name of the Lord to bid her be quiet and still; and she was so. The Lord's power settled her mind, and she mended; and afterwards she received the truth, and continued in it to her death. The Lord's name was honoured; to whom the glory of all His works belongs. Many great and wonderful things were wrought by the heavenly power in those days; for the Lord made bare His omnipotent arm, and manifested His power to the astonishment of many, by the healing virtue whereof many have been delivered from great infirmities, and the devils were made subject through His name; of which particular instances might be given beyond what this unbelieving age is able to receive or bear. But blessed for ever be the name of the Lord, and everlastingly honoured, and over all exalted and magnified be the arm of His glorious power, by which He hath wrought gloriously; let the honour and praise of all His works be ascribed to Him alone.
Now while I was at Mansfield-Woodhouse, I was moved to go to the steeple-house there on a First-day, out of the meeting m Mansfield, and declare the truth to the priest and people; but the people fell upon me in great rage, struck me down, and almost stifled and smothered me; and I was cruelly beaten and bruised by them with their hands, Bibles, and sticks. Then they haled me out, though I was hardly able to stand, and put me into the stocks, where I sate some hours; and they brought. dog-whips and horse-whips, threatening to whip me, and as I sate in the stocks they threw stones at me. After some time they had me before the magistrate, at a knight's house(3), where were many great persons; who, seeing how evilly I had been used, after much threatening set me at liberty. But the rude people stoned me out of the town, and threatened me with pistols, for preaching the word of life to them. I was scarce able to move or stand, by reason of the ill-usage I had received; yet with considerable effort I got about a mile from the town, and then I met with some people who gave me something to comfort me, because I was inwardly bruised; but the Lord's power went through me and healed me. That day some people were convinced of the Lord's truth, and turned to His teaching, at which I rejoiced.
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Passing from thence, I heard of a people that were in prison in Coventry for religion. And as I walked towards the jail, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, "My love was always to thee, and thou art in my love." And I was ravished with the sense of the love of God, and greatly strengthened in my inward man. But when I came into the jail where the prisoners were, a great power of darkness struck at me, and I sate still, having my spirit gathered into the love of God. At last these prisoners began to rant, and vapour, and blaspheme, at which my soul was greatly grieved. They said they were God; but another of them said, "We could not bear such things." So when they were calm, I stood up and asked them whether they did such things by motion, or from Scripture; and they said, "From Scripture." A Bible lying by, I asked them for that Scripture; and they shewed me the place where the sheet was let down to Peter, and it was said to him what was sanctified he should not call common or unclean. Now when I had shewed them that that Scripture made nothing for their purpose, they brought another, which spake of God's reconciling all things to Himself, things in heaven, and things in earth. I told them I owned that Scripture also, but shewed them that that was nothing to their purpose either. Then seeing they said they were God, I asked them if they knew whether it would rain to-morrow. They said they could not tell. I told them God could tell. Again I asked them if they thought they should be always in that condition, or should change, and they answered they could not tell. Then said I unto them, "God can tell, and God doth not change. You say you are God; and yet you cannot tell whether you shall change or no." So they were confounded, and quite brought down for the time. After I had reproved them for their blasphemous expressions, I went away; for I perceived they were Ranters. I had met with none before; and I admired the goodness of the Lord in appearing so unto me before I went amongst them. Not long after this, one of these Ranters, whose name was Joseph Salmon, put forth a paper or book of recantation; upon which they were set at liberty.
And in Warwickshire, at Atherstone, when I was two miles off, the bell rung upon a market-day for a lecture, and it struck at my life; and I was moved to go to the steeple-house. And when I came into it, I found a man speaking; and when I stood among the people the glory and life shined over all and with it I was crowned. And when the priest had done, I spake to him and the people the truth and the light, which let them see all that ever they had done, and of their Teacher within them and how the Lord was come to teach them Himself, and it set them in a flurry and under a rage. And some said I was mad and spake to my outward relations to tie me up, and set them in a rage, but the truth came over all.
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Then I went to Market-Bosworth, and there was a lecture there also. He that preached that day was Nathaniel Stephens, who was priest of the town where I was born. He raged much when I spake to him and to the people, and told them I was mad (though he had said before to one Colonel Purfoy(4) that there was never such a plant bred in England), and he bid the people not to hear me. So the people, being stirred up by this deceitful priest, fell upon us, and stoned us out of the town; yet they did not do us much hurt. Howbeit, some people were made loving that day, and others were confirmed, seeing the rage of both priests and professors; and some cried out that the priest durst not stand to prove his ministry.
As I travelled through markets, fairs, and divers places, I saw death and darkness in all people, where the power of the Lord God had not shaken them. As I was passing on in Leicestershire, I came to Twy-Cross, where there were excise-men. I was moved of the Lord to go to them, and warn them to take heed of oppressing the poor; and people were much affected with it. There was in that town a great man, that had long lain sick and was given up by the physicians; and some Friends in the town desired me to go to see him. I went up to him in his chamber, and spake the word of life to him, and was moved to pray by him; and the Lord was entreated, and restored him to health But when I was come down the stairs, into a lower room, and was speaking to the servants and to some people that were there, a serving-man of his came raving out of another room, with a naked rapier in his hand, and run at me ere I was aware of it and set it just to my side. I looked at him in his face and said, "Alack for thee, poor creature! what wilt thou do with thy carnal weapon? it is no more to me than a straw." The standersby were much troubled, and he went away in a rage and full of wrath. But when the news of it came to his master, he turned him out of his service. Thus the Lord's power preserved me, and raised up the weak man, according to my belief and faith that I had seen before, who afterwards was very loving to Friends; and when I came to that town again, both he and his wife came to see me.
After this I was moved to go into Derbyshire, where the mighty power of God was among Friends. And I went to Chesterfield, where one Britland(5) was priest. He saw beyond the common sort of priests, for he had(6) been partly convinced and had spoken much on behalf of Truth before he was priest there; but when the priest of that town died, he got the parsonage and choked himself with it. I was moved to speak to him and the people in the great love of God, that they might come off from all men's teaching unto God's teaching; and he was not able to gainsay. But they had me before the mayor, and sent me, with some others, to the House of Correction; but the judgments of the Lord came on that priest soon after, and cut off and died. In the night, the officers, with the watchmen, put us out of the town, leaving us to shift as we could.
Priest Stephens, of Drayton, my native place, preached and told my relations that I was carried up
with a whirlwind into Heaven, and after was found full of gold and Silver. And so my relations
wrote a letter to me to come and shew myself. And so I answered the letter and they shewed it to
the priest. The priest said, "Any one might write a letter, but where is the man?" My relations did
conclude it was so, for, said they, "When he went from us, he had a great deal of gold and silver
about him." After I went homewards.
Coming to Derby, I lay at a doctor's house, whose wife was convinced; and so were several more
in the town. As I was walking in my chamber, the bell did ring, and it struck at my life at the very
hearing of it; so I asked the woman of the house what the bell rang for. She said there was to be a
great lecture there that day, and many of the officers of the army, and priests, and preachers were
to be there, and a colonel that was a preacher.(7) Then was I moved of the Lord to go up to them,
and two others with me; and when the priest had done I spake to them what the Lord commanded
me, and they were pretty quiet. But there came an officer and took me by the hand, and said I
must go before the magistrates, and the other two that were with me. It was about the first hour
after noon that we came before them. They asked me why we came thither; I said, "God moved
us so to do"; and I told them, "God dwells not in temples made with hands." I told them also all
their preaching, baptism, and sacrifices would never sanctify them; and bid them look unto Christ
in them, and not unto men; for it is Christ that sanctifies. Then they ran into many words; but I
told them they were not to dispute of God and Christ, but to obey Him. The power of God
thundered amongst them, and they did fly like chaff before it. They put me in and out of the room
often, hurrying me backward and forward; for they were from the first hour till the ninth at night
in examining me. Sometimes they would tell me, in a deriding manner, that I was taken up in
raptures. At last they asked me whether I was sanctified. I answered, "Sanctified! Yes "; for I was
in the paradise of God. Then they asked me if I had no sin. I answered, "Sin! Christ, my Saviour,
has taken away my sin, and in Him there is no sin." They asked how we knew that Christ did
abide in us. I said, "By His Spirit, that He has given us." They temptingly asked if any of us were
Christ. I answered, "Nay, we are nothing, Christ is all." They said, "If a man steal, is it no sin?" I
answered, "all unrighteousness is sin." So when they had wearied them selves in examining me,
they committed me and one other man to the House of Correction in Derby for six months, as
blasphemers; as appears by the following mittimus:
To the Master of the Houst of Correction in Derby, greeting.
We have sent you herewithal the bodies of George Fox, late of Mansfield, in the county of Nottingham, and John Fretwell, late of Stainsby, in the county of Derby, husbandman, brought before us this present day, and charged with the avowed uttering and broaching of divers blasphemous opinions contrary to a late Act of Parliament, which, upon their examination before us, they have confessed. These are therefore to require you, forthwith upon sight hereof, to receive them, the said George Fox and John Fretwell, into your custody, and them therein safely to keep during the space of six months, without bail or mainprize, or until they shall find sufficient security to be of the good behaviour, or be thence delivered by order from ourselves. Hereof you are not to fail.
Given under our hands and seals this 3oth day of October, 1650.
Ger. Bennet,
Nath Barton.
Now did the priests bestir themselves in their pulpits to preach up sin for term of life; and much of their work was to plead for it; so that people said, "Never was the like heard." Then after some time, he that was committed with me, not standing faithful in his testimony, got in with the jailer, and by him made way to the justice to have leave to go to see his mother; and so got his liberty. It was then reported that he should say I had bewitched and deceived him; but my spirit was strengthened when he was gone. The priests, and professors, the justices and the jailer, were all in a great rage against me. The jailer watched my words and actions, and would often ask me questions to ensnare me; and sometimes asked me such silly questions as whether the door was latched or not, thinking to draw some sudden, unadvised answer from me, whence he might take advantage to charge sin upon me; but I was kept watchful and chaste, so that they could get no advantage of me, and they admired at it.
Not long after my commitment, I was moved to write both to the priests and magistrates of Derby.
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Now, after I had thus far cleared my conscience to them, I waited in the holy patience, leaving the event to God, in whose will I stood. After some time I was moved to write again to the justices that had committed me, to lay their evils before them, that they might repent. One of them, that signed the mittimus, to wit, Nathaniel Barton, was both a colonel, a justice and a preacher.
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As I had thus written unto them jointly, so, after some respite of time, I writ to each of them by himself.
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Now, as I had written to the justices and to the priests, so it was upon me to write to the mayor of Derby also; who, though he did not sign the mittimus, had a hand with the rest in sending me to prison.
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I writ also to the Court at Derby thus:
I am moved to write unto you, to take heed of oppressing the poor in your Courts, or laying
burthens upon poor people, which they cannot bear; and of imposing false oaths, or making them
to take oaths which they cannot perform. The Lord saith, "I will come near to judgment, and will
be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the false swearers, and against the idolaters, and
against those that do oppress widows and fatherless." Therefore take heed of all these things
betimes. The Lord's judgments are all true and righteous; and He delighteth in mercy. So love
mercy, dear people, and consider in time.
Likewise to the ringers who used to ring the hells in the steeple-house, called St. Peter's, in Derby.
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While I was in prison many people came far and near to see a man that had no sin; and divers of the professors came to discourse with me; and I had a sense, before they spake, that they came to plead for sin and imperfection. I asked them whether they were believers and had faith, and they said, "Yes." I asked them, "In whom?" and they said, "In Christ." I replied, "If ye are true believers in Christ, you are passed from death to life; and if passed from death, then from sin that bringeth death. And if your faith be true, it will give you victory over sin and the Devil, purify your hearts and consciences (for the true faith is held in a pure conscience, and it will bring you to please God, and give you access to Him again." But they could not endure to hear of purity, and of victory over sin and the Devil; for they said they could not believe that any could be free from sin on this side the grave. I bid them give over babbling about the Scriptures, which were holy men's words, whilst they pleaded for unholiness.
At another time a company of professors came, and they also began to plead for sin. I asked them whether they had hope, and they said, "Yes, God forbid but we should have hope. I asked them, "What hope is it that you have? Is Christ in you the hope of your glory? Doth it purify you, as He is pure?" But they could not abide to hear of being made pure here. Then I bid them, "Forbear talking of the Scriptures, which were the holy men's words. For the holy men, that wrote the Scriptures, pleaded for holiness in heart, life, and conversation here; but since you plead for impurity and sin, which is of the Devil, what have you to do with the holy men's words?"
Now the keeper of the prison,(8) being a high professor, was greatly enraged against me, and spake very wickedly of me: but it pleased the Lord one day to strike him so, that he was in great trouble and under great terrors of mind. As I was walking my chamber I heard a doleful noise; and standing still, I heard him say to his wife, "Wife, I have seen the day of judgment, and I saw George there, and I was afraid of him, because I had done him so much wrong, and spoken so much against him to the priests and professors, and to the justices, and in taverns and ale-houses." After this, towards the evening, he came up into my chamber, and said to me, "I have been as a lion against you; but now I come like a lamb, and like the jailer that came to Paul and Silas trembling." And he desired that he might lie with me; I told him that I was in his power, he might do what he would: but he said nay, he would have my leave, and he could desire to be always with me, but not to have me as a prisoner; and he said he had been plagued, and his house had been plagued for my sake. So I suffered him to lie with me; and then he told me all his heart, and said he believed what I had said of the true faith and hope to be true; and he wondered that the other man that was put into prison with me did not stand to it; and said that man was a knave, and I was an honest man. He confessed also to me, that at those times when I had asked him to let me go forth to speak the word of the Lord to the people, and he had refused to let me go, and I had laid the weight thereof upon him, that he used to be under great trouble, amazed, and distracted for some time after; and in such a condition that one might have killed him with a crab(9) (as he said). When the morning came, he rose, and soon after went to the justices, and told them that he and his house had been plagued for my sake; and one of the justices replied (as he reported to me), that the plagues were on them too for keeping me. This was Justice Bennet of Derby,(10) who was the first that called us Quakers, because we bid them tremble at the word of the Lord. This was in the year 1650.
After this the justices gave leave that I should have liberty to walk a mile. I perceived their end, and told the jailer if they would set down to me how far a mile was, I might take the liberty of walking it sometimes; for I had a sense they thought I would go away. And the jailer confessed afterwards, that they did it with that intent, to have me go away, to ease them of their plague; but I told him I was not of that spirit.
This jailer had a sister, a sickly young woman. She came up into my chamber to visit me; and after she had stayed some time, and I had spoken the words of Truth to her, she went down, and told them that we were an innocent people, and did none any hurt, but did good to all, even to them that hated us; and she desired them to be tender towards us.
Now forasmuch as, by reason of my restraint, I had not the opportunity of travelling about, to declare and spread Truth through the countries, it came upon me to write a paper, and send it forth to be spread abroad both amongst Friends and other tender people, for the opening of their understandings in the way of Truth, and directing them to the true Teacher in themselves.
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While I was in the House of Correction, my relations came to see me; and being troubled for my. imprisonment, they went to the justices that cast me into prison, and desired to have me home with them, offering to be bound in one hundred pounds, and others of Derby with them in fifty pounds each, that I should come no more thither to declare against the priests. So I was had up before the justices; and because I would not consent that they or any should be bound for me (for I was innocent from any ill behaviour, and had spoken the word of life and truth unto them), Justice Bennet rose up in a rage; and as I was kneeling down to pray to the Lord to forgive him, he ran upon me, and struck me with both his hands, crying, "Away with him, jailer; take him away, jailer." And many times when they were setting me at liberty, then I was moved of the Lord God to write unto them, and then their rage would be up, and they would keep me in prison again. Whereupon I was had back again to prison, and there kept until the time of my commitment for six months was expired. But I had now the liberty of walking a mile by myself, which I made use of as I felt freedom. Sometimes I went into the market and streets, and warned the people to repent of their wickedness; and so returned to prison again. And there being persons of several sorts of religion in the prison, I sometimes went and visited them in their meetings on the First-days.
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While I was yet in the House of Correction, there came unto me a trooper, and said, as he was sitting in the steeple-house hearing the priest, exceeding great trouble came upon him; and the voice of the Lord came to him saving, "Dost thou not know that my servant is in prison? Go to him for direction," So I spake to his condition, and his understanding was opened. I told him that which shewed him his sins, and troubled him for them, would shew him his salvation; for he that shews a man his sin, is the same that takes it away. While I was speaking to him, the Lord's power opened him, so that he began to have a good understanding in the Lord's truth, and to be sensible of God's mercies; and began to speak boldly in his quarters amongst the soldiers, and to others, concerning Truth (for the Scriptures were very much opened to him), insomuch that he said his colonel was as blind as Nebuchadnezzar, to cast the servant of the Lord into prison. Upon this his colonel had a spite against him; and at Worcester fight, the year after, when the two armies were lying near one another, two came out of the King's army and challenged any two of the Parliament army to fight with them; his colonel made choice of him and another to answer the challenge. And when in the encounter his companion was slain, he drave both his enemies within musket-shot of the town, without firing a pistol at them. This, when he returned, he told me with his own mouth. But, when the fight was over, he saw the deceit and hypocrisy of the officers; and being sensible how wonderfully the Lord had preserved him, and seeing also to the end of fighting, he laid down his arms.
Now the time of my commitment to the House of Correction being nearly out, and there being many new soldiers raised, the commissioners would have made me captain over them; and the soldiers cried they would have none but me. So the keeper of the House of Correction was commanded to bring me before the commissioners and soldiers in the market-place; and there they offered me that preferment (as they called it), asking me if I would not take up arms for the Commonwealth against Charles Stuart? I told them I knew from whence all wars arose, even from the lust, according to James's doctrine; and that I lived in the virtue of that life and power that took away the occasion of all wars. But they courted me to accept their offer, and thought I did but compliment with them. But I told them I was come into the covenant of peace which was before wars and strifes were. They said they offered it in love and kindness to me because of my virtue; and such like flattering words they used. But I told them if that was their love and kindness, I trampled it under my feet. Then their rage got up, and they said, "Take him away, jailer, and put him into the dungeon amongst the rogues and felons." So I was had away and put into a lousy, stinking place, low in the ground, without any bed, amongst thirty felons, where I was kept almost half a year, unless it were at times; for they would sometimes let me walk in the garden, having a belief that I would not go away. Now when they had got me into Derby dungeon, it was the belief and saying of people that I should never come out; but I had faith in God, and believed I should be delivered in His time; for the Lord had said to me before that I was not to be removed from that place yet, being set there for a service which He had for me to do.
After it was noised abroad that I was in Derby dungeon, my relations came to see me again; and they were much troubled that I should be in prison; for they looked upon it to be a great shame to them for me to be imprisoned for religion; and some thought I was mad, because I advocated purity, and righteousness and perfection.
Among others that came to see and discourse with me, was one Rice Jones(11), from Nottingham, a soldier, that had been a Baptist (as I understood), and with him came several others, who wore going to Worcester fight. In discourse he said to me, "Your faith stands in a man that died at Jerusalem, and there was never any tach thing." I was exceeding grieved to hear him say so; and I said to him, "How! did not Christ suffer without the gates of Jerusalem through the professing Jews, and chief priests, and Pilate?" And he denied that ever Christ suffered there outwardly. Then I asked him whether there were not chief priests, and Jews, and Pilate there outwardly, and when he could not deny that, then I told him, as certainly as there was a chief priest, and Jews, and Pilate there outwardly, so certainly was Christ persecuted by them, and did suffer there outwardly under them. Yet from this man and his company was a slander raised upon us, that the Quakers denied Christ that suffered and died at Jerusalem; which was all utterly false, and the least thought of it never entered our hearts; but it was a mere slander cast upon us, and occasioned by this person's words. The same person also said that never any of the prophets, or apostles, or holy men of God, suffered anything outwardly; but all their sufferings were inward. But I instanced to him how many of them suffered, and by whom they suffered: and so was the power of the Lord brought over his imaginations and whimsies, and so he went his way.
There came also another company to me, that pretended they were triers of spirits; I asked them what was the first step to peace, and what it was by which a man might see his salvation. And they were up in the air, and said I was mad. Thus they came to try spirits who did not know themselves nor their own spirits.
In this time of my imprisonment I was exceedingly exercised about the proceedings of the judges and magistrates in their Courts of judicature. I was moved to write to the judges concerning their putting men to death for cattle, and money, and small-matters; and to shew them how contrary it was to the law of God in old time; for I was under great suffering in my spirit because of it, and under the very sense of death; but standing in the will of God, a heavenly breathing arose in my soul to the Lord. Then did I see the heavens opened, and I rejoiced, and gave glory to God.
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And two men suffered for small things; and I was moved to admonish them for their theft, to encourage them concerning their suffering, it being contrary to the law of God. And a little after they had suffered, their spirits appeared to me as I was walking, and I saw the men were well.
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Moreover I laid before the judges what a sore thing it was that prisoners should lie so long in jail; shewing how that they learned badness one of another in talking of their bad deeds: and therefore speedy justice should be done. For I was a tender youth, and dwelt in the fear of God, and being grieved to hear their bad language, I was often made to reprove them for their wicked words and evil conduct towards each other. People admired that I was so preserved and kept; for they could never catch a word or action from me, to make anything of against me, all the time I was there; for the Lord's infinite power upheld and preserved me all that time; to Him be praises and glory for ever!
While I was here in prison, there was a young woman in the jail for robbing her master of some money. When she was to be tried for her life, I wrote to the judge and to the jury about her, shewing them how contrary it was to the law of God in old time to put people to death for stealing, and moving them to shew mercy. Yet she was condemned to die, and a grave was made for her; and at the time appointed she was carried forth to execution. Then I wrote a few words, warning all people to beware of greediness or covetousness, for it leads from God, but that all should fear the Lord and avoid all earthly lusts, and prize their time while they have it: this I gave to be read at the gallows. And though they had her upon the ladder, with a cloth bound over her face, ready to be turned off, yet they did not put her to death, but brought her back again to prison: and in the prison she afterwards came to be convinced of God's everlasting truth.
There was also in the jail, while I was there, a prisoner, a wicked, ungodly man, who was a reputed conjuror. He threatened how he would talk with me, and what he would do to me; but he never had power to open his mouth to me. And on a time, the jailer and he falling out, he threatened that he would raise the Devil, and break his house down, so that he made the jailer afraid. Then I was moved of the Lord to go in His power, and thresh him in it, and say unto him, "Come, let's see what thou canst do; do thy worst"; and I told him the Devil was raised high enough in him already; but the power of God chained him down so he slunk away and went from me.
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Now after I had seen the visitation of God's love pass away from this place, I knew that my imprisonment here would not continue long; but I saw that when the Lord should bring me forth, it would be as the letting of a lion out of a den amongst the wild beasts of the forest. For all professions stood in a beastly spirit and nature, pleading for sin, and for the body of sin and imperfection, as long as they lived. And they all kicked, and yelled, and roared, and raged, and ran against the life and Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures, which they professed in words.
There was a great judgment upon the town, and I saw that the power of God went away from
them as the waters ran from the town dam when the flood-gates were up; and the magistrates
were uneasy about me; but they could not agree what to do with me. One while they would have
me sent up to the Parliament; another while they would have banished me to Ireland. At first they
called me a deceiver, and a seducer, and a blasphemer; afterwards, when God had brought His
plagues upon them, they said I was an honest, virtuous man. But their good report or bad report,
their well speaking or ill speaking, was nothing to me; for the one did not lift me up, nor the other
cast me down: praised be the Lord! At length they were made to turn me out of jail, about the
beginning of winter, in the year 1651, after I had been a prisoner in Derby almost a year, six
months in the House of Correction, and the rest of the time in the common jail and dungeon.
Thus being set at liberty again, I went on, as before, in the work of the Lord; and as I was walking in a close with several Friends, I lifted up my head and espied three steeple-house spires, and they struck at my life. I asked them what place that was, and they said, Lichfield. Immediately the word of the Lord came to me that thither I must go. So, being come to the house we were going to, I bid Friends that were with me to walk into the house from me, saying nothing to them 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, there were shepherds keeping their sheep. I was commanded by the Lord, of a sudden, to untie my shoes and put them off. 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 was commanded to give them to the shepherds, and was to charge them to let no one have them except they paid for them. The poor shepherds trembled and were astonished.
Then I walked on about a mile till I came into the town, and as soon as I was got within the town the word of the Lord came to me again, to cry, "Woe unto 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; but as I went thus crying through the streets, there seemed to me to be a channel of blood running down the streets, and the marketplace appeared like a pool of blood.
And so at last some Friends and friendly people came to me and said, "Alack, George, where are thy shoes?" I told them it was no matter.
Now when I had declared what was upon me, and cleared myself, I came out of the town in
peace; and returning to the shepherds, 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 any more, and was at a stand whether I should or no, till I felt freedom from the Lord so to
do; and as at last I came to a ditch and washed my feet, I put on my shoes again. After this a deep
consideration came upon me, why, or for what reason, I should be sent to cry against that city,
and call it the bloody city. For though the Parliament had the minster one while, and the King
another, and much blood had been shed in the town during the wars between them, yet that could
not be charged upon the town. But afterwards I came to understand that in the Emperor
Dioclesian's time a thousand Christians were martyred in Lichfield, and so I must go in my
stockings through the channel of their blood, and into the pool of their blood in the marketplace,
that I might raise up the memorial of the blood of those martyrs which had been shed above a
thousand years before, and lay cold in their streets. So the sense of this blood was upon me, and I
obeyed the word of the Lord. Ancient records testify how many of the Christian Britons suffered
there. Much I could write of the sense I had of the blood of the martyrs that had been slain in this
nation for the name of Christ, both under the ten persecutions and since; but I leave it to the Lord,
and to His book, out of which all shall be judged; for His book is a most true record, and His
Spirit a true recorder.
2. This was Colonel Hutchinson (1616-1664), whose Memoirs, by his wife, is a classic. (N.P.)
3. Said to be that of Sir John Digby. (N.P.)
4. George Purefoy, squire of Drayton. (N.P.)
5. Thomas Bretland (d. 1656), lecturer at Chesterfield. (N.P.)
6. It is at this point that the Cambridge Text begins, the previous portion of the original ms. having been lost. (N.P.)
7. This was probably Colonel Barton, mentioned later. (N.P.)
8. Thomas Sharman. (N.P.)
9. That is, crab-apple (see page 62.) (N.P.) The reference on page 62 reads "The next First-day I came to Firbank Chapel, in Westmoreland, where Francis Howgill, before named, and John Audland had been preaching in the morning. The chapel was full of people, so that many could not get in. Francis Howgill said he thought I looked into the chapel, and that I might have killed him with a crab-apple, the Lord's power did so surprise him; but I did not look in." Thus it would seem to have been a figure of speech, with a rough equivalent today being "he could have knocked me over with a feather." (-pds)
10. Gervase Bennett, of Snelston (d. 1670.) (N.P.)
11. Rhys Johns. (N.P.)