Chapter IX (4)

“Surely, ye would find work enough, if ye were in the fear of the
Lord, to turn your swords against profaneness, the oaths and
wickedness that are in your streets and highways. How do they ring
like Sodom, and give a sound like Gomorrah! But these are become a
prey in this your age, that reprove in your gates sin, wickedness, and
profaneness; they are become your by-word. Against them your councils
are gathered, them you cast into prison, and hale out of your
synagogues; and cast them likewise into prison that write and speak
against it, and set your guards to stop and hinder any from visiting
them whom you cast into prison, and give them the names of vagabonds
and wanderers. Was ever the like heard, in the days of the heathen,
against the apostles who witnessed the gospel? Did they set guards and
watches in every town, in every city, to take the disciples, the
brethren, the believers, that heard that the apostles were cast into
prison, and came to see what they wanted? Show ye not as much rage and
fury now in your age, as was in those in that age? And how can you
talk of the gospel, and of defending the gospel, when you are setting
guards and watches against it, and are defending that which stands
against it; and the lambs of Christ are almost torn to pieces amongst
you, who are like wolves? for the Lord hath now sent his lambs amongst
wolves. Have not you professed the words of Christ, of the prophets
and apostles, as the Jews had long professed the Scriptures, the words
of Moses and of the prophets, that prophesied of Christ that was to
come, and stood against him when he was come? as you do in this day of
his reign, in this day of his glorious gospel, who are persecuting the
messengers of it, imprisoning them, persecuting them in your streets
and highways; and are setting up your watches against them, who bring
you the glad tidings of peace to your souls, whose feet are beautiful
on the top of the mountains; mark, on the top of the mountains, that
against which the mountains rage and swell. But God will make them
melt; the sun is risen, which will make them melt. God will cleave the
rocks and mountains asunder, and make the hills to bow perpetually;
for his Son he will exalt, and his glory he will give to HIM and not
to another.

“Therefore be awakened, ye rulers of the earth, and take counsel of
the Lord; take not counsel together against him. Make not your bonds
strong; set not yourselves in battle against him, for ye will be found
but as briars and thorns before him, which the fire shall consume.
Therefore be awakened, all ye talkers of the Scripture, that gather
yourselves together by your multitudes and meetings, and have had your
teachers; but not having the Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures,
the Lord God of glory, the Father of spirits, will scatter you. All
your bonds will not hold you together, who are out of the Spirit,
which is the bond of peace. The thrashing instrument is gone forth,
which will beat the hills to pieces. Sion is risen to thrash. Out of
the holy mountain is the trumpet sounded. Stand not up against the
Lord; for all nations are with the Lord as the drop of a bucket. He
that measures the waters in the hollow of his hand, and weighs the
earth in scales, the Lord of hosts is his name, who is now risen and
rising to plead the cause of the innocent; who is exalting his Son,
and bringing his sheep to him. Now are they seen and known that feed
upon wind, that are lifted up, given up to believe lies; who report,
and say, ‘Report, and we will report it.’ Now are they seen who have a
form of godliness, but deny the power; so Christ is denied, the power
itself is denied; for Christ is the power of God. And the power being
denied by you, that have a form of godliness, that have the words of
the Scriptures, the gospel is denied; for the gospel is the power of
God. Thus it is among you, that have the knowledge and wisdom that is
sensual, earthly, and devilish. Doth it not appear so? Let your jails
and watches witness your fruits in every town. Your wisdom is earthly,
sensual, and devilish; you have a knowledge and wisdom, but not that
which is from above; for that is pure and gentle, so is not your
knowledge; but to know Christ is life eternal. Now your fruits have
manifested that you are not of this; and so out of the power of God,
which is the cross of Christ; for you are found in the world, out of
the power of God, out of the cross of Christ, persecuting. So that
which doth persecute, and send forth writings and decrees to stop all,
and take up all, and set watches, and prepare bonds to stint the Lord;
to imprison and persecute, and suffer none to go to visit them; this
shows you are not Christians, but stand against a Christian’s life,
which brings to love enemies.

“Where is your heaping up coals of fire; your love to your enemies;
who are thus persecuting your friends? ‘He came to his own, and his
own received him not;’ here is a turning of the sword against the
just. Do you show here a Christian’s life, or yourselves Christians,
who are filling your jails with Christians in Spirit, you that are in
the letter (in shadows), as the Jews in the letter put the Jews in the
Spirit into prison? Is not this the fruit in our days of the
Christians in the letter, to put the Christians in the Spirit into
prison? Doth not this show that your decrees, which you have sent
forth, proceed from death, who thus act against the life, and them
that are in it; which the Scriptures were given forth from? Is it not
here as it was with Saul, when he went to persecute, to hale to
prison, and bind all that he could find calling upon that name, who
were Christians in the life, the Spirit, such as you are now
persecuting, because they are in the life, though you profess their
words? Are not your decrees gone forth from the same spirit of envy,
against the same Spirit of Christ they were in? Is it not manifest to
all that fear God, and to the sober-minded and honest-hearted people
that see your practices, your decrees, your letters, to stop, to
molest, to hinder, to imprison them that are moved of the Lord to do
his will, or to go to visit prisoners whom you have imprisoned? Doth
this show you to have a spirit like Paul, yea or nay? or are you not
quite contrary, like unto them that persecuted Paul? The day hath
declared it.

“To that of God in you all I speak, which shall witness it at the last
day,—the day of judgment. Persecution was blind in all ages; and
madness and folly led it: yet persecution got always a form or
pretence of godliness,—a talk of religion, as in the days of Moses, of
Jeremiah, of Christ, and of the apostles. ‘Come,’ saith the council,
‘let us crush them while they are young, they have almost overspread
the nation in every corner.’ This is as much as to say, ‘Let us put
this birth to death, as Pharaoh and Herod did the children.’ But the
Lord caused his truth the more to spread. For you may read, what
numbers came out of Egypt! and what multitudes followed Christ!
Therefore, with consideration read these lines, and not with fury. Let
not foolishness appear; but consider in humility the paths you go in,
what spirit you are of, and what the end of your conversation is; for
in love to your souls I write, that in the day of your visitation you
may consider it.

“From him who loveth righteousness, and the establishing of it, and
truth, peace, and faith, which is by Christ Jesus (Mercy and peace be
multiplied among such!) but a witness against all hypocrites, and all
who have a profession, but live out of the possession, in an
hypocritical religion, in the lusts and fashions of the world, having
a form of godliness, but standing against the power with might and
main, sword and staff. Which things declare your conversation and
practices to be out of Christ’s life, against the gospel practice, and
contrary to the manner and order of the saints.”

G. F.

We continued in prison till the next assize; before which time divers Friends, both men and women, were sent to prison, that had been taken up by the watches. When the assize came on, several of these were called before the judge, and indicted; and though the jailer brought them into court, yet they indicted them, that they came in “by force of arms and in an hostile manner;” and the judge fined them, because they would not put off their hats. But we were not called before the judges any more.

Great work we had, and service for the Lord, both between the assizes and after, amongst professors and people of all sorts; for many came to see us and to reason with us. Elizabeth Trelawny of Plymouth (who was the daughter of a baronet) being convinced (as was formerly mentioned,) the priests and professors, and some great persons of her kindred were exasperated, and wrote letters to her. She being a wise and tender woman, and fearing to give them any advantage, sent their letters to me; and I answered them, and returned them to her again, for her to answer. Which she did: till growing in the power, and Spirit, and wisdom of God, she came herself to be able to answer the wisest priest and professor of them all; and had a dominion over them in the truth, through the power of the Lord, by which she was kept faithful to her death.

While I was in prison here, the Baptists and Fifth-monarchy-men prophesied, “That this year Christ should come, and reign upon earth a thousand years.” And they looked upon this reign to be outward; when he was come inwardly in the hearts of his people, to reign and rule there, and these professors would not thus receive him. So they failed in their prophecy and expectation, and had not the possession of him. But Christ _is_ come, and doth dwell in the hearts of his people, and reign there. Thousands, at the door of whose hearts he hath been knocking, have opened to him; and he is come in, and doth sup with them and they with him; the heavenly supper with the heavenly and spiritual man. So many of these Baptist and Monarchy-people became the greatest enemies to the possessors of Christ; but he reigns in the hearts of his saints over all their envy.

At the assize divers justices came to us and were pretty civil, and reasoned of the things of God soberly, expressing a pity towards us. Captain Fox, governor of Pendennis Castle, came and looked me in the face, and said not a word; but went to his company, and told them, “he never saw a simpler man in his life.” I called after him, and said, “Stay, we will see who is the simpler man.” But he went his way; a light chaffy man.

Thomas Lower[49] also came to visit us, and offered us money, which we refused; accepting his love nevertheless. He asked us many questions concerning our denying the Scriptures to be the word of God; and concerning the sacraments and such like; to all which he received satisfaction. I spoke particularly to him and he afterwards said, “my words were as a flash of lightning, they ran so through him.” He said, “he never met with such men in his life; for they knew the thoughts of his heart, and were as the wise master-builders of the assemblies, that fastened their words like nails.” He came to be convinced of the truth, and remains a Friend to this day. When he came home to his aunt Hambley’s, where he then lived, and made report to her concerning us, she, with her sister Grace Billing, hearing the report of truth, came to visit us in prison, and was convinced also. Great sufferings and spoiling of goods both he and his aunt have undergone for the truth’s sake.

Footnote 49:

Thomas Lower was son-in-law to Judge Fell, having married his daughter
Mary.

About this time I was moved to give forth the following exhortation to Friends in the ministry:—

“FRIENDS,

“In the power of life and wisdom, and dread of the Lord God of life,
and heaven, and earth, dwell, that in the wisdom of God over all ye
may be preserved, and be a terror to all the adversaries of God, and a
dread, answering that of God in them all, spreading the truth abroad,
awakening the witness, confounding deceit, gathering out of
transgression into the life, the covenant of light and peace with God.
Let all nations hear the sound by word or writing. Spare no place,
spare no tongue nor pen; but be obedient to the Lord God; go through
the work; be valiant for the truth upon earth; and tread and trample
upon all that is contrary. Ye have the power, do not abuse it; and
strength and presence of the Lord, eye it, and the wisdom; that with
it you may all be ordered to the glory of the Lord God. Keep in the
dominion; keep in the power over all deceit; tread over them in that
which lets you see to the world’s end, and the uttermost parts of the
earth. Reign and rule with Christ, whose sceptre and throne are now
set up, whose dominion is over all to the ends of the earth; whose
dominion is an everlasting dominion; whose throne is an everlasting
throne; whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; and whose power is
above all powers. Therefore this is the word of the Lord God to you
all: keep in the wisdom of God, that spreads over all the earth; the
wisdom of the creation, that is pure, from above, not destructive. For
now shall salvation go out of Zion, to judge the mount of Esau: and
now shall the law go forth from Jerusalem, to answer the principle of
God in all; to hew down all inventors and inventions. For all the
princes of the earth are but as air to the power of the Lord God,
which you are in, and have tasted of: therefore live in it; this is
the word of the Lord God to you all, do not abuse it; keep down and
low; and take heed of false joys, that will change.

“Bring all into the worship of God. Plough up the fallow ground.
Thrash and get out the corn; that the seed, the wheat, may be gathered
into the barn; that to the beginning all people may come—to Christ,
who was, before the world was made. For the chaff is come upon the
wheat by transgression; he that treads it out, is out of
transgression, and fathoms transgression; puts a difference between
the precious and the vile; and can pick out the wheat from the tares,
and gather into the garner: so brings to the lively hope, the immortal
soul into God, out of which it came. None worship God but who come to
the principle of God, which they have transgressed. None are ploughed
up but he who comes to the principle of God in him, that he hath
transgressed. Then he doth service to God; then is the planting and
the watering; and the increase from God cometh. So the ministers of
the Spirit must minister to the Spirit that is in prison, which hath
been in captivity in every one; that with the Spirit of Christ, people
may be led out of captivity up to God, the Father of Spirits, do
service to him, and have unity with him, with the Scriptures, and one
with another. This is the word of the Lord God to you all, and a
charge to you all in the presence of the living God; be patterns, be
examples in all countries, places, islands, nations, wherever you
come; that your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of
people, and to them; then you will come to walk cheerfully over the
world, answering that of God in every one; whereby in them ye may be a
blessing, and make the witness of God, in them to bless you: then to
the Lord God you will be a sweet savour, and a blessing.

“Spare no deceit. Lay the sword upon it; go over it; keep yourselves
clear of the blood of all men, either by word, or writing; and keep
yourselves clean, that you may stand, in your throne, and everyone
have his lot, and stand in the lot in the Ancient of Days. The
blessing of the Lord be with you, and keep you over all the idolatrous
worships and worshippers. Let them know the living God; for teachings,
churches, worships, set up by man’s earthly understanding, knowledge,
and will, must be thrown down by the power of the Lord God. All this
must be overthrown by that which gave forth Scripture; and who are in
that, reign over it all: that is the word of the Lord God to you all.
In that is God worshipped, that brings to declare his will; and brings
to the church in God, the ground and pillar of truth: for now has the
mighty day of the Lord appeared, and the arrows of the Almighty are
gone forth, which shall stick in the hearts of the wicked. Now will I
arise, saith the Lord God Almighty, to trample and thunder down
deceit, which hath long reigned, and stained the earth: now will I
have my glory out of every one. The Lord God Almighty over all in his
strength and power keep you, to his glory, that you may come to answer
that of God in every one.

“Proclaim the mighty day of the Lord of fire and sword, who will be
worshipped in spirit and in truth; and keep in the life and power of
the Lord God, that the inhabitants of the earth may tremble before
you; that the Lord’s power and majesty may be admired among the
hypocrites and heathens, and ye in the wisdom, dread, life, terror,
and dominion preserved to his glory: that nothing may rule or reign,
but power and life itself; and in the wisdom of God ye may be
preserved in it. This is the word of the Lord God to you all. The call
is now out of transgression; the Spirit bids, ‘come.’ The call is now
from all false worships and gods, and from all inventions and dead
works, to serve the living God. The call is to repentance, to
amendment of life, whereby righteousness may be brought forth; which
shall go throughout the earth. Therefore ye that are chosen and
faithful, who are with the Lamb, go through your work faithfully, and
in the strength and power of the Lord: and be obedient to the power;
for that will save you out of the hands of unreasonable men, and
preserve you over the world to himself. Hereby you may live in the
kingdom, that stands in power, which hath no end; where glory and life
is.”

G. F.

After the assizes, the sheriff, with some soldiers, came to guard a woman to execution, that was sentenced to die; and we had much discourse with them. One of them wickedly said, that “Christ was as passionate a man as any that lived upon the earth;” for which we rebuked him. Another time we asked the jailer what doings there were at the sessions; and he said, “Small matters: only about thirty for bastardy.” We thought it very strange, that they who professed themselves Christians should make small matters of such things. But this jailer was very bad himself; I often admonished him to sobriety; but he abused people that came to visit us. Edward Pyot had a cheese sent him from BRISTOL by his wife; and the jailer took it from him, and carried it to the mayor, to search it for treasonable letters, as he said; and though they found no treason in the cheese, they kept it from us. This jailer might have been rich if he had carried himself civilly; but he sought his own ruin; which soon after came upon him; for the next year he was turned out of his place, and for some wickedness cast into the jail himself; and there begged of our Friends. And for some unruliness in his conduct, he was, by the succeeding jailer, put into Doomsdale, locked in irons, and beaten; and bid to “remember how he had abused those good men, whom he had wickedly, without any cause, cast into that nasty dungeon;” and told, “that now he deservedly should suffer for his wickedness; and the same measure he had meted to others, should be meted out to himself.” He became very poor, and died in prison; and his wife and family came to misery.

While I was in prison in LAUNCESTON, a friend went to Oliver Cromwell, and offered himself, body for body, to lie in Doomsdale in my stead; if he would take him, and let me have liberty. Which thing so struck him, that he said to his great men and council, “Which of you would do so much for me if I were in the same condition?” And though he did not accept of the Friend’s offer, but said, “he could not do it, for that it was contrary to law;” yet the truth thereby came mightily over him. A good while after this he sent down Major-General Desborough, pretending to set us at liberty. When he came, he offered us our liberty, if we would say, “we would go home, and preach no more;” but we could not promise him. Then he urged, that we should promise “to go home, if the Lord permitted;” whereupon Edward Pyot wrote him the following letter:—

“_To Major-General Desborough._

“FRIEND,

“Though much might be said as to the liberty of Englishmen to travel
in any part of the nation of England, it being as the Englishman’s
house by the law, and he to be protected in any part of it; and if he
transgress the law, the penalty upon the transgressor is to be
inflicted. And as to the liberty of conscience, which is a natural
right, and a fundamental; the exercise of it, by those who profess
faith in God by Jesus Christ, is to be protected; as by the instrument
of government appears, though they differ in doctrine, worship, and
discipline; provided the liberty extend not to Popery, to prelacy, nor
to licentiousness. Where these rights, which are the price of much
blood and treasure in the late wars, are denied us, our liberty is
infringed. Yet in the power of God over all, by which all are to be
ruled, are we, and in it dwell, and by it alone are guided to do the
will of God; whose will is free; and we, in the freedom of his will,
walk by the power, either as it commands or permits, without any
condition or enforcement thereunto by men; but as the power moves
either by command or permission. And although we cannot covenant or
condition to go forth of these parts, or to do this or that thing, if
the Lord permit (for that were to do the will of man by God’s
permission,) yet it is probable we may pass forth from these parts in
the liberty of the will of God, as we may be severally moved, guided
by the pure power, and not of necessity. We, who were first committed,
were passing homewards when we were apprehended; and, as far as I
know, we might pass, if the prison doors were commanded to be opened,
and we freed of our bonds. Should we stay, if the Lord commands us to
go; or should we go, if the Lord commands us to stay; or having no
command to stay, but being permitted to pass from hence, the pure
power moving thereto, and yet we stay; or go, when as before commanded
to stay; we should then be wanderers indeed; for such are wanderers,
who wander out from the will and power of God, abroad, at large, in
their own wills and earthly minds. And so, in the fear of the Lord
God, well weigh and consider, with the just weight and just balance,
that justice thou mayest do to the just and innocent in prison.”

EDWARD PYOT.

Some time having elapsed after the foregoing was delivered him, and he not giving any order for our discharge, I also wrote to him, as follows:—

“_To Major-General Desborough._

“FRIEND,

“We who are in the power of God, the ruler and upholder of all things,
who know and dwell in his power, to it we must be obedient; which
brings us to stand out all men’s wills, unlimited. To say, ‘we will,
if the Lord permit,’ in a case of buying and selling to get gain, if
the intent be so to do, may be done; but we standing in the power of
God to do his will, and to stand out of man’s will, if man propose,
‘we shall have our liberty if we will say we will go to our outward
home, if the Lord permit, or if it will be the will of God;’ and
because we cannot say these words in this case, shall not have our
liberty, when we know that the will of God is, we shall ‘go to speak
at some other place;’ here we cannot say these words truly. For to
say, ‘we will go to our outward habitation, if it be according to the
will of God,’ when we know the will of God is otherwise, we cannot
speak so truly and clearly. Neither can any man say so to him, that
requires it of him; who stands in the power, and knows the power of
God to lead him, according to God’s will, when it leads him to another
place than his outward home. But the Son of God, who came to do, and
did, the will of God, had no place whereon to lay his head; and the
apostles, and many of the followers of Christ, had no certain
dwelling-place. Now, if these should have been restrained, because
they could not say, they would go to their outward homes, if it were
the will of God, when they knew it was the will of God they should
not; and they could not do the will of God in doing so; and therefore
could not speak those words to satisfy man’s mind and will, would not
such restraint have been evil? Abraham could not do the will of God,
but in going from his native country; and those who are of faith are
of Abraham, of whom Christ came according to the flesh. Now, if you
allege, ‘this is to let all loose, and at liberty to idleness,’ I say,
no; such as are in the power of God, who do the will of God, come to
receive his wisdom, by which all his creatures were created; and by
which they are used to his glory. This I shall say; whoever are moved
by the Lord God of glory and power, to go to their outward
habitations, such of us may go to our outward homes, and there be
diligent in serving the Lord, that they may be a blessing from the
Lord God in their generation; diligently serving him in life and
doctrine, in manners, in conversation, in all things. And those of us
who are moved of the Lord to go to any other place, we standing in his
will, and being moved by his power, which comprehends all things, and
is not to be limited, we shall do his will, as we are commanded to do.

“So the Lord God open your understandings, that you may see this great
power of the Lord, which he is now manifesting among his children in
this his day; that ye may not withstand it in our Friends, that are
come into the power of God, and to God, and know him by whom the world
was made; by whom all things were created that were created; and there
was not anything made, but what was made for him, and to him, and by
him; who is the power of God, and doth enlighten every man that cometh
into the world. Friends being come to this light, which cometh from
Christ, and having received power from him, by whom all things were
created, who hath all power in heaven and earth given to him, who is
the wisdom of God, we have received wisdom and power from him; by
which the Lord doth give us to know how to use and order the creatures
to the glory of him who is the creator of all things. Friends here are
taught of the Lord to be diligent, serving him; and who come into the
life, the Scriptures were given forth from, are given up to serve the
Lord; and of this I have in all your consciences a witness. So, if
thou open the prison door, we shall not stay there. If thou send a
liberate, and set us free, we shall not stay in prison; for Israel is
to go out free, whose freedom is purchased by the power of God, and
the blood of Jesus. But who goeth out of the power of God, loseth his
freedom.

“GEORGE FOX,

“The 13th of the 6th And the rest who are sufferers for
Month, 1656.” the truth in Launceston jail.”

After this Major Desborough came to the Castle-Green, and played at bowls with the justices and others. Several Friends were moved to go, and admonish them not to spend their time so vainly; desiring them to consider, that “though they professed themselves to be Christians, yet they gave themselves up to their pleasures, and kept the servants of God meanwhile in prison;” and telling them, “the Lord would plead with them, and visit them for such things.” But notwithstanding what was written or said to him, he went away, and left us in prison. We understood afterwards, that he left the business to Colonel Bennet, who had the command of the jail. For sometime after Bennet would have set us at liberty, if we would have paid his jailer’s fees. But we told him, “we could give the jailer no fees, for we were innocent sufferers; and how could they expect fees of us, who had suffered so long wrongfully?” After a while Colonel Bennet coming to town, sent for us to an inn, and insisted again upon fees, which we refused. At last the power of the Lord came so over him, that he freely set us at liberty on the 13th day of the seventh month, 1656. We had been prisoners nine weeks at the first assize, called the Lent-assize, which was in the spring of the year.