“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.’
“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 sent 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 made, 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.”
After 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 while 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 Fox 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 I 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 life, 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.”
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 evening 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; and 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 wanting; 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 power 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.”
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 and 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 order 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.