The night we came to Exeter I spake with James Nayler; for I saw he was out and wrong, and so was his company. Next day, being the First-day, we went to visit the prisoners, and had a meeting with them in the prison; but James Nayler and some of them could not stay the meeting. The next day I spake to James Nayler again; and he slighted what I said and was dark and much out; yet he would have come and kissed me. But I said that since he had turned against the power of God, I could not receive his shew of kindness; the Lord moved me to slight him, and to set the power of God over him. So after I had been warring with the world, there was now a wicked spirit risen up amongst Friends to war against, and I admonished him and his company. When he was come to London, his resisting the power of God in me, and the truth that was declared to him by me, became one of his greatest burdens. But he came to see his out-going, and to condemn it; and after some time he returned to Truth again.
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We came to Edward Pyot's house near Bristol, on the Seventh-day at night, and it was quickly noised over the town that I was come. I had never been there before.
On the First-day morning I went to the meeting in Broadmead at Bristol, which was large and quiet. Notice was given of a meeting to be in the afternoon in the Orchard. There was at Bristol a rude Baptist, named Paul Gwin, who had before made great disturbance m our meetings, being, encouraged and set on by the mayor, who would sometimes give him his dinner to encourage him. Such multitudes of rude people he gathered after him, that it was thought there had been sometimes ten thousand people at our meeting in the Orchard. As I was going into the Orchard the people told me that Paul Gwin, the rude jangling Baptist, was going to the meeting. I bid them never heed, it was nothing to me who went to it.
When I was come into the Orchard, I stood upon the stone that Friends used to stand on when they spake; and I was moved of the Lord to put off my hat, and to stand a pretty while and let the people look at me; for some thousands of people were there. While I thus stood silent, this rude Baptist began to find fault with my hair, but I said nothing to him. Then he ran on into words; and at last, "Ye wise men of Bristol," said he, "I strange at you, that you will stand here and hear a man speak, and affirm that which he cannot make good." Then the Lord opened my mouth (for as yet I had not spoken a word), and I asked the people whether they ever heard me speak; or ever saw me before: and I bid them take notice what kind of man this was amongst them that should so impudently say that I spake and affirmed that which I could not make good; and yet neither he nor they had ever heard me or seen me before. Therefore that was a lying, envious, malicious spirit that spake in him; and it was of the Devil, and not of God. I charged him in the dread and power of the Lord to be silent: and the mighty power of God came over him, and all his company. Then a glorious, peaceable meeting we had. For many hours did I declare the word of life amongst them in the eternal power of God, that by Him they might come up into the beginning, and be reconciled to Him. And having turned them to the Spirit of God in themselves, that would lead into all Truth, I was moved to pray in the mighty power of God; and the Lord's power came over all. When I had done, this fellow began to babble again; and John Audland was moved to bid him repent and fear God. So his own people and followers being ashamed of him, he passed away, and never came again to disturb the meeting. The meeting brake up quietly, and the Lord's power and glory shined over all: a blessed day it was, and the Lord had the praise.
After a while this Paul Gwin went beyond the seas: many years after I met with him again at Barbados.
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The First-day following we went to Nathaniel Cripps's house,(1) who had been a justice of peace in Wiltshire, where it was supposed there were between two and three thousand people at a meeting; and all was quiet.
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Next day we went to Marlborough, where we had a little meeting. The Sessions being held that day, they were a bout to grant a warrant to send for me; but one Justice Stooks(2) being at the Sessions, stopped them, telling them there was a meeting at his house yesterday, at which there were several thousands. So the warrant was stopped, and the meeting was quiet; and several received Christ Jesus their Teacher, came into the new covenant, and abode in it.
From hence we rode to London, and when we came near Hyde Park we saw a great concourse of people, and looking towards them espied the Protector coming in his coach. Whereupon I rode to his coach-side; and some of his life-guard would have put me away, but he forbad them. So I rode by with him declaring what the Lord gave me to say to him of his condition, and of the sufferings of Friends in the nation; shewing him how contrary this persecution was to Christ and His apostles, and to Christianity. When we arrived at James's Park-gate, I left him; and at parting he desired me to come to his house. Next day, one of his wife's maids, whose name was Mary Saunders, came to me at my lodging, and told me her master came to her and said he would tell her some good news. When she asked him what it was, he told her George Fox was come to town. She replied that was good news indeed (for she had received Truth), but she said she could hardly believe him till he told her how I met him and rode from Hyde Park to James's Park with him.
After a little time Edward Pyot and I went to Whitehall, and when we came before him, Dr. Owen, vice-chancellor of Oxford, was with him, and we were moved to speak to Oliver Cromwell concerning the sufferings of Friends, and laid them before him; and directed him to the light of Christ, who enlightneth every man that cometh into the world. He said it was a natural light; but we shewed him the contrary, and manifested that it was divine and spiritual, proceeding from Christ, the spiritual and heavenly Man; and that which was called the life in Christ the Word, was called the light in us. The power of the Lord God arose in me, and I was moved in it to bid him lay down his crown at the feet of Jesus. Several times I spake to him to the same effect. Now I was standing by the table, and he came and sate upon the table's side by me, and said he would be as high as I was; and so continued speaking against the light of Christ Jesus; and went away in a light manner. But the Lord's power came over him, so that when he came to his wife and other company, he said, "I never parted so from them before"; for he was judged in himself.
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Having travelled over most part of the nation, I returned to London again, having cleared myself of that which lay upon me from the Lord. For after I was released out of Launceston jail, I was moved of the Lord to travel over the nation, the truth being now spread, and finely planted in most places, that I might answer and remove out of the minds of people some objections which the envious priests and professors had raised and spread abroad concerning us. For what Christ said of false prophets and antichrists coming in the last days they applied to us, and said we were they.
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In this year the Lord's truth was finely planted over the nation, and many thousands were turned to the Lord; insomuch that there were seldom fewer than one thousand in prison in this nation for tithes, and going to the steeple-houses, and for contempts, and not swearing, and not putting off their hats.
Now after I had compassed most parts of the nation I returned to London again. And then O. P. began to harden, and several Friends were turned out of their offices of justices and other offices, and turned out of the army.
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I writ a short epistle to Friends to encourage them to keep up their meetings in the Lord's power.
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About this time many mouths were opened in our meetings to declare the goodness of the Lord,
and some that were young and tender in the truth would sometimes utter a few words in
thanksgiving and praises to God. That no disorder might arise from this in our meetings, I was
moved to write an epistle to Friends, by way of advice in that matter. And thus it was:
All my dear friends in the noble Seed of God, who have known His power, life, and presence among you, let it be your joy to hear or see the springs of life break forth in any: through which ye may have all unity in the same, feeling life and power. And above all things, take heed of judging any one openly in your meetings, except they be openly profane or rebellious, such as be out of the truth: that by the power, life. and wisdom ye may stand over them, and by it answer the witness of God in the world, that such, whom ye bear your testimony against, are none of you: so that therein the truth may stand clear and single. But such as are tender, if they should be moved to bubble forth a few words, and speak in the Seed and Lamb's power, suffer and bear that; that is, the tender. And if they should go beyond their measure, bear it in the meeting for peace and order's sake, and that the spirits of the world be not moved against you. But when the meeting is done, then if any be moved to speak to them, between you and them, one or two of you that feel it in the life. do it in the love and wisdom that is pure and gentle from above: for love is that which doth edify, bears all things, suffers long, and doth fulfil the law. So in this ye have order and edification, ye have wisdom to preserve you all wise and in patience; which takes away the occasion of stumbling the weak, and the occasion of the spirits of the world to get up: but in the royal Seed, the heavy stone, ye keep down all that is wrong; and by it answer that of God in all. For ye will hear, see, and feel the power of God preaching, as your faith is all in it (when ye do not hear words), to bind, to chain, to limit, to frustrate; that nothing shall rise nor come forth but what is in the power: for with that ye will hold back, and with that ye will let up, and open every spring, plant, and spark; in which will be your joy and refreshment in the power of God.
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And, Friends, though ye may have been convinced, and have tasted of the power, and felt the light; yet afterwards ye may feel a winter storm, tempest and hail, frost and cold, and temptation in the wilderness. Be patient and still in the power and in the light that doth convince you, to keep your minds to God; in that be quiet, that ye may come to the summer, that your flight be not in the winter. For if ye sit still in the patience, which overcomes in the power of God, there will be no flying.
G.F.
Having stayed some time in London and visited the meetings of Friends in and about the City, and cleared myself of what services the Lord had at that time laid upon me there, I travelled into Kent, Sussex, and Surrey, visiting Friends, amongst whom I had great meetings; and many times I met with opposition from Baptists and other jangling professors, but the Lord's went over them.
We lay one night at Farnham, where we had a little meeting, and the people were exceeding rude; but at last the Lord's power came over them. After it we went to our inn, and gave notice that any that feared God might come to us; and there came abundance of rude people, the magistrates of the town also, and some professors. I declared the truth unto them; and those of the people that behaved rudely the magistrates put out of the room. When they were gone there came up another rude company of professors and some of the heads of the town. They called for faggots(3) and drink, though we forbade them; and were as rude a carriaged people as ever I met with. The Lord's power chained them that they had not power to do us any mischief; but when they went away, they left all their faggots and beer which they had cared for into the room for us to pay for in the morning. We shewed the innkeeper what an unworthy thing it was, yet he told us we must pay it: and pay it we did. Before we left the town I wrote a paper to the magistrates and heads of the town, and to the priest shewing him how he had taught his people, and of their rude and uncivil carriage to strangers that sought their good.
Leaving that place we came to Basingstoke, a very rude town, where they had formerly very much abused Friends. There I had a meeting in the evening, which was quiet for the Lord's power chained the unruly. At the close of it I was moved to put off my hat, and pray to the Lord to open their understandings; upon which they raised a report upon me and said that I was a very good man, and put off my hat to them and bid them good night, which was never in my heart. After the meeting, when we came to our inn, the George, we sent for the innkeeper (as I used to do), and he came into the room to us, and shewed himself a very rude man. I admonished him to be sober and fear the Lord; but he called for faggots and a pint of wine, and drank it off himself; then called for another, and called up half a dozen men into our chamber. Thereupon I bid him go out of the chamber, and told him he should not drink there, for we sent for him up to speak to him concerning his eternal good. He was exceeding mad, and rude, and drunk; but I told him the chamber was mine for the time I lodged in it, and called for the key. At last he went his ways in a great rage. In the morning he would not be seen; but I told his wife of his unchristian and rude behaviour towards us.
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We then travelled on till we came to Exeter; and at the sign of the Seven Stars, an inn at the bridge foot, had a general meeting of Friends out of Cornwall and Devonshire. A blessed heavenly meeting we had, and the Lord's everlasting power came over all, in which I saw and said that the Lord's power had surrounded this nation round about, as with a wall and bulwark, and His seed reached from sea to sea. Friends were established in the everlasting Seed of life, Christ Jesus, their life, rock, teacher and shepherd.
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We passed on through the countries, having meetings and gathering people in the name of Christ, to Him their heavenly Teacher, till we came to Brecknock, where we set up our horses at an inn. I walked out but a little into the fields, and when I came in again the town was in an uproar. When I came into the chamber in the inn, it was full of people, and they were speaking in Welsh; I desired them to speak in English, which they did, and much discourse we had. After a while they went away; but towards night the magistrates gathered together in the streets, with a multitude of people, and they bid them shout, and gathered up the town; so that for about two hours together there was such a noise that the like we had not heard; and the magistrates set them on to shout again, when they had given over. We thought it looked like the uproar which we read was amongst Diana's craftsmen. This tumult continued till night: and if the Lord's power had not limited them, they seemed likely to have pulled down the house and us to pieces.
At night, the woman of the house would have had us go to supper in another room, but we discerning her plot, refused. Then she would have had half a dozen men come into the room to us, under pretence of discoursing with us. We told her no persons should come into our room that night, neither would we go to them. Then she said we should sup in another room, a great hall; but we told her we would have no supper if not in our own room. At length, when she saw she could not get us out, she brought up our supper in a great rage. So she and they were crossed in their design, for they had an intent to do us mischief; but the Lord God prevented them. Next morning I writ a paper to the town concerning their unchristian conduct, shewing the fruits of their priests and magistrates; and as I passed out of the town I spake to the people, and told them they were a shame to Christianity and religion.
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At this time there was a great drought; and after this general meeting was ended there fell a mighty rain, that Friends said they thought we could not pass the brooks, the waters would be so risen. But I believed the rain had not extended so far as they had come that day to the meeting. Next day in the afternoon, when we came back into some parts of Wales again, the roads were all dust, and no rain had fallen thereabouts. And it was a noted thing generally amongst people that when I came, still I brought rain, and it had been so for many years.
When O. P. gave forth a proclamation(4) for a fast throughout the nation, for rain, when there was a very mighty drought, it was observed that as far as Truth had spread in the North there were pleasant showers and rain enough, when up in the South, in many places, they were almost spoiled for want of rain. And the like observation and expectation they have beyond the seas--when there is a drought they generally look for the Quakers' general meetings, for then they know they shall have rain. And as they receive the truth and become fruitful unto God, they receive from Him their fruitful seasons also. At that time I was moved to write an answer(5) to the Protector's proclamation, wherein I told him if he had come to own God's truth he should have had rain; and that drought was a sign unto them of their barrenness, and want of the water of life.
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2.
Edward Stokes (c. 1615-1667) lived at Tytherton Lucas. (N.P.)3.
That is, meat-rolls. (N.P.)4.
Dated 20th March, 1653-4. (N.P.)5.
Entitled A Warning from the Lord to all such as hang down the head for a day, etc., 1654. (N.P.)