The sessions being held that day, they were about to grant a warrant to send for me; but one Justice Stooks being at the sessions, stopped them, telling them there was a meeting at his house yesterday, at which 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 went to NEWBURY, where we had a large, blessed meeting, and several were convinced. Then we passed to READING, where we had a large, precious meeting in the Lord's power, amongst the plants of God. Many of other professions came in, and were reached, and added to the meeting. All was quiet, and the Lord's power was over all. We went next to KINGSTON-ON-THAMES, where a few came in to us that were turned to the Lord Jesus Christ: but it is since become a larger meeting.

Leaving Kingston, we rode to LONDON. 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 coachside; and some of his life-guards would have put me away, but he forbade them. So I rode by with him, "declaring what the Lord gave me to say of his condition, and of the sufferings of Friends in the nation; showing 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 Sanders, 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. 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 enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world." He said it was a natural light; but we "showed 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 spoke to him to the same effect. Now I was standing by the table, and he came and sat 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.

After he had left us, as we were going out, many great persons came about us; and one of them began to speak against the light, and against the truth; and I was made to slight him, for speaking so lightly of the things of God. Whereupon, one of them told me he was the Major-General

of Northamptonshire. "What!" said I, "our old persecutor, that has persecuted and sent so many of our friends to prison, and is a shame to Christianity and religion! I am glad I have met with thee," said I. So I was moved to speak sharply to him of his unchristian carriage, and he slunk away: for he had been a cruel persecutor in Northamptonshire.

Now, after I had visited the meetings of Friends in and about London, I went into BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, and Edward Pyot with me; and in several places in that county many received the truth. Great meetings we had, and the Lord's power was eminently manifested. I passed through Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire, into LINCOLNSHIRE. After having had several meetings in Lincolnshire, I had at last a meeting where two knights, one called Sir Richard Wrey, and the other Sir John Wrey, with their wives, were at the meeting. One of their wives was convinced, received the truth, and died in it. When the meeting was over we passed away; and it being evening, and dark, a company of wild serving-men encompassed me about, with intent (as I apprehended) to do me some mischief. But I spoke aloud to them, and asked, "What are ye? highwaymen ?" Whereupon some Friends and friendly people that were behind, came up to us, and knew some of them. So I reproved them for their uncivil and rude carriage, and exhorted them to fear God; and the Lord's power came over them, and stopped their mischievous design: blessed be his name for ever!

Then I turned into HUNTINGDONSHIRE: and the mayor of HUNTINGDON came to visit me, and was very loving, and his wife received the truth.

Thence I passed into CAMBRIDGESHIRE, and the Fen-country, where I had many meetings, and the Lord's truth spread. Robert Craven (who had been sheriff of Lincoln) and Amor Stoddart, and Alexander Parker were with me. We went to CROWLAND, a very rude place; for the town'speople were collected at the inn we went to, and were half drunk, both priest and people. "I reproved them for their drunkenness, and warned them of the day of the Lord, that was coming upon all the wicked; exhorting them to leave their drunkenness, and turn to the Lord in time." Whilst I was thus speaking to them, and showing the priest the fruits of his ministry, he and the clerk broke out into a rage, and got up the tongs and fireshovel to us; so that had not the Lord's power preserved us, we might have been murdered amongst them. Yet, for all their rudeness and violence, some received the truth then, and have stood in it ever since.

Thence we passed to BOSTON, where most of the chief of the town came to our inn, and the people seemed much satisfied. But there was a raging man in the yard, and Robert Craven was moved to speak to him, and told him he shamed Christianity, which with some few other words so stopped the man, that he went away quiet. Some were convinced there also.

Thus we had large meetings up and down, for I travelled into Yorkshire, and returned out of Holderness, over Humber, visiting Friends; and then returning into Leicestershire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire, among Friends, I had a meeting at EDGE-HILL. There came to it Ranters, Baptists, and several sorts of rude people; for I had sent word about three weeks before to have a meeting there, so that hundreds of people were gathered thither, and many Friends came far to it. The

Lord's everlasting truth and word of life reached over all; the rude and unruly spirits were chained down; and many that day were turned to the Lord Jesus Christ, by his power and Spirit, and came to sit under his blessed, free teaching, and to be fed with his eternal, heavenly food. All was peaceable; the people passed quietly away, and some of them said it was a mighty, powerful meeting; for the presence of the Lord was felt, and his power and Spirit amongst them.

From hence I passed to WARWICK and to BAGLEY, having precious meetings; and then into Gloucestershire, and so to OXFORD, where the scholars were very rude; but the Lord's power came over them. Great meetings we had up and down as we travelled. Then I went to Colonel Grimes's, where there was a very large meeting; and thence to Nathaniel Crips's, where came another justice to the meeting, who was also convinced. At CIRENCESTER we had a meeting, which is since much increased; and so we came to EVESHAM again, where I met John Camm.

Thus 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.

Therefore was I moved to open this through the nation, and to show "That they who said we were the false prophets, antichrists, and deceivers, that should come in the last days, were indeed themselves they. For when Christ told his disciples in the viith and xxivth of Matthew, that false prophets and antichrists should come in the last times, and (if it were possible) should deceive the very elect; he said, 'By their fruits ye shall know them;' for they should be inwardly ravening wolves, having the sheep's clothing. 'And,' said he, 'do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles ?' as much as to say, their nature and spirit should be like a thorn, or like a thistle. And he bid his disciples not go after them. But before the disciples were deceased, the antichrists, false prophets, and deceivers were come. For John in his first epistle said, 'Little children, it is the last time; and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now there are many antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time.' So here, as Christ said to his disciples they should come, the disciples saw they were come; as may be seen at large in Peter, Jude, John, and other places of Scripture; whereby,' says John, 'we know it is the last time.' And this last time began above sixteen hundred years since. John said, 'they went out from us;' the false prophets, antichrists, seducers, and deceivers, went out from the church;' 'but you,' said he, to the church, 'have an anointing, which abideth in you; and you need not that any man teach you, but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things; and as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.' Christ said to his disciples, 'Go not after

them, for they are inwardly ravening wolves;' and John exhorts the saints to the anointing within them; and the rest of the apostles exhort the churches to the grace, the light, the truth, the Spirit, the word of faith, and to Christ in their hearts, the hope of glory. Christ told the saints that the Spirit of truth, the Holy Ghost, should be their leader into all truth; and Jude exhorts the church to pray in the Holy Ghost,' and 'to be built up in their most holy faith,' which Christ was the author of. Christ, by his servant John, ‘exhorted the seven churches to hear what the Spirit said to the churches,' and this was an inward, spiritual hearing. Christ says, the inwardly ravening wolves should have the sheep's clothing. Paul speaks of some in his time, that had a form of godliness, but denied the power.' John said, 'they went out from us.' Jude said, 'they go in Cain's way, and in Balaam's, and Corah's way. By all which it may be clearly seen, that the false prophets and antichrists, which Christ foretold should come, the apostles saw were come; and in their day it was the last time; and these went forth from them into the world, and the world went after them. These were the foremen, the leaders of the world, that brought them into a form of godliness, but inwardly ravened from the power and Spirit. These have the sheep's clothing, the words of Christ, of the prophets, and of the apostles; but are inwardly ravened from the power and Spirit that they were in, who gave forth the Scriptures. These have made up the beast and the whore! These have got the dragon's power, the murdering, destroying, persecuting power ! And these are they that the world wonders after! These have drunk the blood of the martyrs, prophets, and saints, and persecuted the true church into the wilderness! These have set up the false, compelling worships, and have drunk the blood of the saints, that will not drink of their cup! These have made the cage for the unclean birds, that have their several unclean notes in their cage; which cage is made up by the power of darkness, and uncleanness; and the birds of the cage deny the Holy Ghost, and the power of God, which the apostles were in, to be now manifested in the saints! Thus since Christ said, the false prophets and antichrists should come, and the apostle said, they were come, the beast's and the dragon's worship hath been set up; and the whore is got up with her false prophets, and her cage hath been made, and all nations have drunk of her cup of fornication; the blood of the martyrs and saints they have drunk, and the true church hath fled into the wilderness; and all this since the apostles' days. Yet the blind deceivers, the antichrists and false prophets of our age, would make us and people believe, that the false prophets, antichrists, and deceivers are come but now, though John and other of the apostles tell us they were come above sixteen hundred years ago. And ye may see what work and confusion they have made in the world; how much blood these Cains have drunk that went in Cain's way; which blood cries to God for vengeance upon Christendom! And how these Balaams, that have erred from the power and Spirit which the apostles were in, have coveted after other men's estates, the many jails, courts, and spoilings of goods will bear witness. And how the Corals have gainsayed the life, power, and spirit, which the apostles and true church were in, and the free

teaching of Christ and his apostles, and the work of their ministry, which was to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus,' hath been evident.

"Therefore in the name and power of the Lord Jesus was I sent to preach again the everlasting gospel, which had been preached before unto Abraham, and in the apostles' days; which was to go over all nations, and be preached to every creature. For as the apostacy hath gone over all nations since the apostles' days, so that the nations are become as waters, unstable, being gone from Christ the foundation; so must the gospel, the power of God, go over all nations again. We find the false prophets, antichrists, deceivers, whore, false church, beast, and his worship in the dragon's power, have got up in the times between the apostles and us. For Christ said, they should come;' and the apostles saw they were come,' and coming in their days; and that they went forth from them, and the world went after them. And now hath the Lord raised us up beyond them, and set us over them in the everlasting gospel, the power of God; that as all have been darkened by the beast, whore, false prophets, and antichrists, so the everlasting gospel may be preached again by us to all nations, and to every creature, which will bring life and immortality to light in them, that they may see over the devil and his false prophets, antichrists, seducers, and deceivers, and over the whore and beast, and to that which was before they were. This message of the glorious everlasting gospel was I sent forth to declare and publish, and thousands by it are turned to God, having received it; and are come into subjection to it, and into the holy order of it. And since I have declared this message in this part of the world, and in America, and have written books on the same, to spread it universally abroad; the blind prophets, preachers, and deceivers, have given over telling us the false prophets should come in the last times;' for a great light is sprung up, and shines over their heads; so that every child in truth sees the folly of their sayings.

"Then they raised other objections against us, and invented shifts to save themselves from truth's stroke. For when we blamed them for taking tithes, which came from the tribe of Levi, and were set up here by the Romish church, they would plead, that Christ told the scribes and Pharisees they ought to pay tithes of mint, anise, and cummin, though they had neglected the weightier matters;' and that Christ said, 'the scribes and Pharisees sat in Moses's seat, therefore all that they bid you do, that do and observe.' And when we told them they were envious, persecuting priests, they would reply, that some preached Christ of envy, and some of contention, and some of good-will.' Now these Scriptures, and such like they would bring to darken the minds of their hearers, and to persuade them and us, that we ought to do as they say, though they themselves were like the Pharisees; and that we should rejoice when envious men and men of strife preached Christ; and that we should give them the tithes, as the Jews did to the tribe of Levi.' These were fair glosses; here was a great heap of husks, but no kernel. Now this was their blindness; for the Levitical priesthood Christ hath ended, and disannulled the commandment that gave them tithes, and the law, by which those priests were made. Christ did not come after that order, neither did he send forth his ministers