"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 every one 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:

“FRIEND,

"To Major-General Desborough.

"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 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:

"FRIEND,

"To Major-General Desborough.

"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 of 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 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 dwellingplace. 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 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 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.

"The 13th of the 6th Month, 1656."

"GEORGE FOX,

And the rest who are sufferers for 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.

CHAPTER X.

1656-1657.-Address to those who are given to pleasures and wantonness-to the bowlers in the Castle-Green at Launceston-George Fox visits Friends imprisoned at Exeter, amongst whom is James Naylor, who has apostatized, but afterwards returned into the Truth-at a meeting in the orchard at Bristol about 10,000 persons are present-Paul Gwin, a rude Baptist, creates a disturbance, but is reproved and silenced-meeting of two or three thousand persons at N. Crips's— Justice Stooks prevents the magistrates from apprehending George Fox-speaks to the Protector at Hyde-Park, who invites him to his house-accordingly goes to Whitehall, and speaks to the Protector about Friends' sufferings-travels through most parts of the nation after his liberation from Launceston jail-this year, 1656, there were seldom fewer than one thousand Friends in prison-to Friends, on the schism of J. Naylor-to Friends, to keep up their meetings-on judging the ministry, &c.-an auswer to a high-flown professor-to professors, priests, and teachers, on immediate revelation and universal grace, &c., &c.—at Cardiff, George Fox sends word to some who had run out that "the day of their visitation was over"-at Brecknock, his companion, John-ap-John, preaches in the streets-at night, there is a great uproar, like that of Diana's craftsmen-at William Gandy's has a large meeting of two or three thousand persons-Cromwell proclaims a fast for rain, and is told by George Fox that the drought was a sign of their barrenness-concerning the true fast and the false-preaches three hours at a great meeting in Radnorshire, and many are convinced-their horses are twice robbed of their oats-from a high hill sounds the day of the Lord, and foretells where God would raise up a people to himself, which came to pass-travels through every county in Wales, where there is a brave people, who sit under Christ's teaching-has a large meeting on the top of a hill near Liverpool-at Manchester is taken into custody, but soon released.

OBSERVING, while I was a prisoner at Launceston, how much the people (especially they who are called the gentry) were addicted to pleasures and vain recreations, I was moved, before I left the place, to give forth several papers as a warning to them, and all that so misspend their time. One of which was thus directed :

"This is to go abroad among them who are given to pleasures and

wantonness.

"THE sins of Sodom and Gomorrah were pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness. Their filthy conversation vexed the righteous soul of just Lot day by day, and they would not take warning: on whom God therefore sent fire, and turned them into ashes. And in spiritual Sodom and Egypt was our Lord Jesus Christ crucified; and it is written, 'The people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play; with whom God was not well pleased; and there fell three and twenty thousand in one day. These the apostle commanded the saints they should not follow; for these things happened to them for examples, and are written for our admonition. God spared not the old world; but reserving Noah, a preacher of righteousness brought the flood upon the world of the ungodly, making