some of them; so that at night some of the heads of the parish came to me, and most of them were convinced and satisfied, and confessed to the truth. Thus the truth began to spread in that country, and great meetings we had; at which the priest began to rage, and the Ranters to be stirred; and they sent me word that they would have a dispute with me, both the oppressing priest, and the leaders of the Ranters. A day was fixed, and the Ranter came with his company; and another priest, a Scotchman, came; but not the oppressing priest of Stath. Philip Scafe, who had been a priest, and was convinced, was with me; and a great number of people met. When we were settled, the Ranter, whose name was T. Bushel, told me he had had a vision of me; that I was sitting in a great chair, and that he was to come and put off his hat, and bow down to the ground before me; and he did so and many other flattering words he spoke. I told him it was his own figure, and said unto him, "Repent, thou beast." He said it was jealousy in me to say so. Then I asked him the ground of jealousy, and how it came to be bred in man? and the nature of a beast, what made it, and how it was bred in man? For I saw him directly in the nature of the beast; and therefore I wished to know of him how that nature came to be bred in him? I told him he should give me an account of the things done in the body, before we came to discourse of things done out of the body. So I stopped his mouth, and all his fellow Ranters were silenced; for he was the head of them. Then I called for the oppressing priest, but he came not; only the Scotch priest came, whose mouth was soon stopped with a very few words; he being out of the life of what he professed. Then I had a good opportunity with the people. I laid open the Ranters, ranking them with the old Ranters in Sodom. The priests I manifested to be of the same stamp with their fellow-hirelings, the false prophets of old, and the priests that then bore rule over the people by their means, seeking for their gain from their quarter, divining for money, and teaching for filthy lucre. I brought all the prophets, and Christ, and the apostles, over the heads of the priests, showing how the prophets, Christ, and the apostles, had long since discovered them by their marks and fruits. Then I directed the people to their inward teacher, Christ Jesus their Saviour; and I preached up Christ in the hearts of his people, when all these mountains were laid low. The people were all quiet, and the gainsayers' mouths were stopped; for though they broiled inwardly, yet the power bound them down, that they could not break out.

After the meeting, this Scotch priest desired me to walk with him on the top of the cliffs; whereupon I called a brother-in-law of his, who was in some measure convinced, and desired him to go with me, telling him I desired to have somebody by to hear what was said, lest the priest, when I was gone, should report anything of me which I did not say. We went together; and as we walked, the priest asked me many things concerning the light, and concerning the soul; to all which I answered him fully. When he had done questioning, we parted, and he went his way; and meeting with Philip Scafe, he broke his cane against the ground in madness, and said, if ever he met with me again, he would have my life, or I should have his; adding, that he would give his head, if I was not knocked down

within a month. By this, Friends suspected that his intent was, in desiring me to walk with him alone, either to thrust me down from off the cliff, or to do me some other mischief; and that when he saw himself frustrated in that, by my having one with me, it made him rage. I feared neither his prophecies nor his threats; for I feared God Almighty. But some Friends, through their affection for me, feared much that this priest would do me some mischief, or set on others to do it. Yet after some years this very Scotch priest, and his wife also, came to be convinced of the truth; and about twelve years after this, I was at their house.

After this, there came another priest to a meeting where I was, one that was in repute above all the priests in the country. As I was speaking in the meeting, that the gospel was the power of God, and how it brought life and immortality to light in men, and was turning people from darkness to the light, this high-flown priest said the gospel was mortal. I told him, the true minister said, the gospel was the power of God, and would he make the power of God mortal? Upon that the other priest, Philip Scafe, that was convinced, and had felt the immortal power of God in himself, took him up and reproved him; so a great dispute arose between them; the convinced priest holding that the gospel was immortal, and the other priest that it was mortal. But the Lord's power was too hard for this opposing priest, and stopped his mouth; and many people were convinced, seeing the darkness that was in the opposing priest, and the light that was in the convinced priest.

Then another priest sent to have a dispute with me, and Friends went with me to the house where he was: but when he understood we were come, he slipped out of the house, and hid himself under a hedge. The people went to seek him, and found him, but could not get him to come to us. Then I went to a steeple-house hard by, where the priest and people were in a great rage: this priest had threatened Friends what he would do; but when I came he fled; for the Lord's power came over him and them. Yea, the Lord's everlasting power was over the world, and reached to the hearts of people, and made both priests and professors tremble. It shook the earthly and airy spirit, in which they held their profession of religion and worship, so that it was a dreadful thing unto them, when it was told them, "The man in leather breeches is come.' At the hearing

* The leathern garments worn by George Fox were chosen by him for their simplicity and durability; and though they often subjected their wearer to ridicule and abuse, he had no motive beyond the above-mentioned for chosing such a garb. Many persons have been amused, if not offended at him for having worn such a dress when he was a young man. In those days leathern garments for working men may not have been so singular as some suppose. It is a well authenticated fact, that an eminent merchant of the city of London, about 150 years ago, travelled on foot from Newcastle, in search of a livelihood, clad in a coat of leather. He opened a warehouse in London for the sale of heavy articles of iron, which were manufactured in the neighbourhood of Newcastle. In a few years he became prosperous, accumulated a large fortune, and ranked with the magnates of the city, sharing in all the civic honours of the corporation. The firm which he established still continues to conduct a flourishing business, at a warehouse in Thames Street, which is familiarly known in the trade by "The Leathern Doublet ;" a representation of the founder's original dress being fixed as a sigu ́in front of the building.

thereof the priests, in many places, would get out of the way; they were so struck with the dread of the eternal power of God; and fear surprised the bypocrites.

From this place we passed to WHITBY and SCARBOROUGH, where we had some service for the Lord; there are large meetings settled there since. From thence I passed over the WOLDS to MALTON, where we had great meetings; as we had also at the towns thereabouts. At one town a priest sent me a challenge to dispute with me; but when I came, he would not come forth; so I had a good opportunity with the people, and the Lord's power came over them. One, who had been a wild, drunken man, was so reached therewith, that he came to me as lowly as a lamb; though he and his companions had before sent for drink, to make the rude people drunk, on purpose that they might abuse us. When I found the priest would not come forth, I was moved to go to the steeple-house; the priest was confounded, and the Lord's power came over all.

On the First-day following, came one of the highest Independent professors, a woman, who had let in such a prejudice against me, that she said before she came, she could willingly go to see me hanged: but when she came, she was convinced, and remains a Friend.

Then I turned to MALTON again, and very great meetings there were; to which more people would have come, but durst not for fear of their relations; for it was thought a strange thing then to preach in houses, and not go to the church, as they called it; so that I was much desired to go and speak in the steeple-houses. One of the priests wrote to me, and invited me to preach in the steeple-house, calling me his brother. Another priest, a noted man, kept a lecture there. Now the Lord had showed me, while I was in Derby prison, that I should speak in steeple-houses, to gather people from thence; and a concern sometimes would come upon my mind about the pulpits that the priests lolled in. For the steeple-houses and pulpits were offensive to my mind, because both priests and people called them the house of God, and idolized them; reckoning that God dwelt there in the outward house. Whereas they should have looked for God and Christ to dwell in their hearts, and their bodies to be made the temples of God; for the apostle said, "God dwelleth not in temples made with hands:" but by reason of the people's idolizing those places, it was counted a heinous thing to declare against them. When I came into the steeple-house, there were not above eleven hearers, and the priest was preaching to them. But after it was known in the town that I was in the steeple-house, it was soon filled with people. When the priest that preached that day had done, he sent the other priest that had invited me thither, to bring me up into the pulpit; but I sent word to him, that I needed not to go into the pulpit. Then he sent to me again, desiring me to go up into it; for, he said, it was a better place, and there I might be seen of the people. I sent him word again, I could be seen and heard well enough where I was; and that I came not there to hold up such places, nor their maintenance and trade. Upon my saying so, they began to be angry, and said, “these false prophets were to come in the last times." Their saying so grieved many of the people; and some began to murmur at it. Whereupon I stood up, and

desired all to be quiet; and stepping upon a high seat, I declared unto them the marks of the false prophets, and showed that they were already come; and set the true prophets, and Christ, and his apostles over them; and manifested these to be out of the steps of the true prophets, and of Christ and his apostles. I directed the people to their inward teacher, Christ Jesus, who would turn them from darkness to the light. And having opened divers Scriptures to them, I directed them to the Spirit of God in themselves, by which they might come to him, and by which they might also come to know who the false prophets were. So having had a large opportunity among them, I departed in peace.

After some time, I came to PICKERING, where in the steeple-house the justices held their sessions, Justice Robinson being chairman. I had a meeting in the school-house at the same time; and abundance of priests and professors came to it, asking questions, which were answered to their satisfaction. It being sessions-time, four chief constables and many other people were convinced that day; and word was carried to Justice Robinson that his priest was overthrown and convinced, whom he had a love to, more than to all the priests besides. After the meeting, we went to an inn. Justice Robinson's priest was very lowly and loving, and would have paid for my dinner, but I would by no means suffer it. Then he offered that I should have his steeple-house to preach in, but I refused it, and told him and the people, that I came to bring them off from such things to Christ.

The next morning I went with the four chief constables, and others, to visit Justice Robinson, who met me at his chamber door. I told him, I could not honour him with man's honour. He said he did not look for it. So I went into his chamber, and opened to him the state of the false prophets, and of the true prophets; and set the true prophets, and Christ, and the apostles over the other; and directed his mind to Christ his teacher. I opened to him the parables, and how election and reprobation stood; as that reprobation stood in the first birth, and election stood in the second birth. I showed also what the promise of God was to, and what the judgment of God was against. He confessed to it all; and was so opened with the truth, that when another justice that was present, made some little opposition, he informed him. At our parting, he said it was very well that I exercised that gift, which God had given me. He took the chief constables aside, and would have given them some money for me, saying, he would not have me at any charge in their country; but they told him that they could not persuade me to take any; and so accepting his kindness, I refused his money.

I

From thence I passed up into the country, and the priest that called me brother (in whose school-house I had the meeting at Pickering), went along with me. When we came into a town to bait, the bells rang. asked what they rang for: and they said, for me to preach in the steeplehouse. After some time I felt drawings that way; and as I walked to the steeple-house, I saw the people were gathered together in the yard. The old priest would have had me to go into the steeple-house; but I said, it was no matter. It was something strange to the people, that I would not go into that which they called the house of God. I stood up in the steeple

house yard, and declared to the people, that I came not to hold up their idol temples, nor their priests, nor their tithes, nor their augmentations, nor their priests' wages, nor their Jewish and heathenish ceremonies and traditions (for I denied all these), and told them that that piece of ground was no more holy than another piece of ground. I showed them that the apostles' going into the Jews' synagogues and temples, which God had commanded, was to bring people off from that temple, and those synagogues, and from the offerings, and tithes, and covetous priests of that time; that such as came to be convinced of the truth, and converted to it, and believed in Jesus Christ, whom the apostles preached, met together afterwards in dwelling-houses; and that all who preach Christ, the Word of life, ought to preach freely, as the apostles did, and as he had commanded. So I was sent of the Lord God of heaven and earth to preach freely, and to bring people off from these outward temples made with hands, which God dwelleth not in; that they might know their bodies to become the temples of God and of Christ and to draw people off from all their superstitious ceremonies, and Jewish and heathenish customs, traditions, and doctrines of men; and from all the world's hireling teachers, that take tithes and great wages, preaching for hire, and divining for money, whom God and Christ never sent, as themselves confess, when they say they never heard God's voice, nor Christ's voice. Therefore I exhorted the people to come off from all these things, and directed them to the Spirit and grace of God in themselves, and to the light of Jesus in their own hearts, that they might come to know Christ, their free teacher, to bring them salvation, and to open the Scriptures to them. Thus the Lord gave me a good opportunity amongst them to open things largely unto them. All was quiet, and many were convinced; blessed be the Lord!

I passed on to another town, where there was another great meeting, the old priest before mentioned going along with me; and there came professors of several sorts to it. I sat on a haystack, and spoke nothing for some hours; for I was to famish them from words. The professors would ever and anon be speaking to the old priest, and asking him when I would begin, and when I would speak. He bade them wait; and told them, that the people waited upon Christ a long while before he spoke. At last I was moved of the Lord to speak; and they were struck by the Lord's power; the word of life reached to them, and there was a general convincement amongst them.

From hence I passed on, the old priest being still with me, and several others. As we went along, some people called to him, and said, "Mr. Boyes, we owe you some money for tithes, pray come and take it.” But he threw up his hands, and said, he had enough, he would have none of it; they might keep it; and he praised the Lord he had enough.

At length we came to this old priest's steeple-house in the MOORS; and when we were come into it, he went before me, and held open the pulpit door; but I told him I should not go into it. This steeple-house was very much painted. I told him and the people, that the painted beast had a painted house. Then I opened to them the rise of all those houses, and their superstitious ways; showing them, that as the end of the apostles