little ones, ye did it not to me." Friend, thou hast imprisoned me for bearing witness to the life and power of truth, and yet professest to be a minister of Christ: "but if Christ had sent thee, thou wouldest bring out of prison, and out of bondage, and wouldest receive strangers. Thou hast been wanton upon earth, thou hast lived plenteously, and nourished thy heart, as in a day of slaughter: thou hast killed the just. O look where thou art, and how thou hast spent thy time! O remember thyself, and now, whilst thou hast time, prize it; and do not slight the free mercy of God, and despise the long suffering of God, which is great salvation: but mind that in thee which doth convince thee, and would not let thee swear, nor lie, nor take God's name in vain. Thou knowest thou shouldest do none of these things; thou hast learned that which will condemn thee; therefore obey the light, which doth convince thee, and forsake thy sins, and look at the mercies of God; and prize his love in sparing thee till now. The Lord saith, "Look unto me, all ye ends of the earth, and be ye sayed; and cease from man, whose breath is in his nostrils." And friend, prize thy time, and see whom thou servest for his servant thou art, whom thou dost obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness. If thou servest God, and fearest him, thou wilt not blaspheme his name, nor curse, nor swear, nor take his name in vain, nor follow pleasures and wantonness, whoredom and drunkenness, or wrath, or malice, or revenge, or rashness, or headiness, pride or gluttony, greediness, oppression or covetousness, or foolish jestings, or vain songs; God doth forbid these things, and all unrighteousness. If thou professest God, and actest any of these things, thou takest him for a cloak, and servest the devil. Consider with thyself, and do not love that which God doth hate. He that loveth God, keepeth his commandments. The devil will tell thee, it is an hard thing to keep God's commandments; but it is an easy thing to keep the devil's commandments, and to live in all unrighteousness and ungodliness, turning the grace of God into wantonness. But let the unrighteous man forsake his ways, and turn unto me, saith the Lord, and I will have mercy. "Turn ye, why will ye die?" saith the Lord.

'Howl, ye great ones, for the plagues are pouring out upon you! Howl, ye oppressors, for recompence and vengeance is coming upon you! Wo unto them that covetously join one house to another; and bring one field so nigh unto another, that the poor can get no more ground, and that ye may dwell upon the earth alone: these things are

in the ears of the Lord of hosts. Wo unto him that covetously getteth evil-gotten goods into his house, that he may set his nest on high, to escape from the power of evil.'

While I was yet in the house of correction, there came unto me a trooper, and said, as he was sitting in the steeple-house, hearing the priest, exceeding great trouble came upon him; and the voice of the Lord came to him saying, Dost thou not know that my servant is in prison? Go to him for direction.' So I spake to his condition, and his understanding was opened. And I told him, that which shewed him his sins, and troubled him for them, would shew him his salvation; for he that shews a man his sin, is the same that takes it away. Now, while I was speaking to him, the Lord's power opened him, so that he began to have a good understanding in the Lord's truth, and to be sensible of God's mercies; and began to speak boldly in his quarters amongst the soldiers, and to others, concerning truth (for the scriptures were very much opened to him,) insomuch that he said, his colonel was as blind as Nebuchadnezzar, to cast the servant of the Lord into prison. Upon this his colonel had a spite at him; and at Worcester fight, the year after, when the two armies lying near one another, two came out from the king's army, and challenged any two of the parliament army to fight with them; his colonel made choice of him and another to answer the challenge. And when in the encounter his companion was slain, he drave both his enemies within musket-shot of the town, without firing a pistol at them: this, when he returned, he told me with his own mouth. But when the fight was over, he saw the deceit and hypocricy of the officers; and being sensible how wonderfully the Lord had preserved him, and seeing also to the end of fighting, he Îaid down his arms.

Now the time of my commitment to the house of correction being very near out, and there being many new soldiers raised, the commissioners would have made me captain over them; and the soldiers cried, they would have none but me. So the keeper of the house of correction was commanded to bring me up before the commissioners and soldiers in the market place; and there they proffered me that preferment (as they called it) asking me if I would not take up arms for the Common-wealth against Charles Stuart; I told them, I knew from whence all wars did arise, even from the lust, according to James's doctrine; and that I lived in the virtue of that life and power, that took away the occasion of all wars. But they

courted me to accept of their offer, and thought I did but compliment with them. But I told them, I was come into the covenant of peace, which was before wars and strifes were. They said, they offered it in love and kindness to me, because of my virtue; and such like flattering words they used. But I told them, if that was their love and kindness, I trampled it under my feet. Then their rage got up, and they said, 'Take him away, gaoler, and put him into the dungeon amongst the rogues and felons:' So I was had away and put into a lousy, stinking place, without any bed, amongst thirty felons, where I was kept almost half a year, unless it were at times; for they would sometimes let me walk in the garden, having a belief of me that I would not go away. Now when they had gotten me into Derby dungeon, it was the belief and saying of people that I should never come out; but I had faith in God, and believed I should be delivered in his time; for the Lord had said to me before, that I was not to be removed from that place yet, being set there for a service which he had for me to do.

After it was bruited abroad that I was in Derby dungeon, my relations came to see me again; and they were much troubled that I should be in prison; for they looked upon it to be a great shame to them for me to be imprisoned for religion; and some thought I was mad, because I stood for purity, and righteousness, and perfection.

Among others that came to see me, and discourse with me, there came a certain person from Nottingham, a soldier, and that had been a baptist (as I understood) and with him came several others. And in discourse this person said to me, Your faith stands in a man that died at Jerusalem, and there was never any such thing.' I was exceedingly grieved to hear him say so; and I said to him, 'How! did not Christ suffer without the gates of Jerusalem through the professing Jews, and chief priests, and Pilate?' And he denied that ever Christ suffered there outwardly. Then I asked him, whether there were not chief priests, and Jews, and Pilate there outwardly? and when he could not deny that, then I told him, as certainly as there was a chief priest, and Jews, and Pilate there outwardly, so certainly was Christ persecuted by them, and did suffer there outwardly under them. Yet from this man's words was a slander raised upon us, that the Quakers should deny Christ, that suffered and died at Jerusalem; which was all utterly false, and the least thought of it never entered our hearts; but it was a mere slander cast upon us, and occasioned by this person's words. VOL. 1.

The same person also said, that never any of the prophets, nor apostles, nor holy men of God suffered any thing outwardly; but all their sufferings were inward. But I instanced to him many of the prophets and apostles, how they suffered, and by whom they suffered: and so was the power of the Lord brought over his wicked imaginations and whimsies.

There came also another company to me, that pretended they were triers of spirits; and I asked them, what was the first step to peace, and what it was by which a man might see his salvation; and they were presently up in the airy mind, and said I was mad. Thus they came to try spirits, who did not know themselves, nor their own spirits.

In this time of my imprisonment, I was exceedingly exercised about the proceedings of the judges and magistrates in their courts of judicature. And I was moved to write to the judges, concerning their putting men to death for cattle, and money, and small matters; and to shew them how contrary it was to the law of God in old time; for I was under great suffering in my spirit because of it, and under the very sense of death; but standing in the will of God, an heavenly breathing arose in my soul to the Lord. Then did I see the heavens opened, and I rejoiced, and gave glory to God. So I wrote to the judges as followeth :

'I am moved to write unto you to take heed of putting men to death for stealing cattle or money, &c.; for the thieves in the old time were to make restitution, and if they had not wherewith, they were to be sold for their theft. Mind the laws of God in the scriptures, and the Spirit that gave them forth, and let them be your rule in executing judgment; and shew mercy, that you may receive mercy from God, the judge of all. And take heed of gifts and rewards, and of pride, for God doth forbid them, and they do blind the eyes of the wise. I do not write to give liberty to sin; God hath forbidden it: but that you should judge according to his laws, and shew mercy: for he delighteth in true judgment, and in mercy. I beseech you to mind these things, and prize your time, now you have it; and fear God, and serve him, for he is a consuming fire.'

Beside this, I wrote another letter to the judges, to this effect:

'I am moved to write unto you that ye do true justice to every man, and see that none be oppressed, nor wronged; nor no oaths imposed; for the land mourneth because of oaths, and adulteries, and sorceries, and drunkenness, and profaneness. O consider, ye that be men set in authority: be moderate, and in lowliness consider these things. Shew mercy to the fatherless, and to the widows, and to the poor; and take heed of rewards or gifts, for they do blind the eyes of the wise; the Lord doth loath all such. Love mercy and true judgment, justice and righteousness, for the Lord delighteth in such. Consider these things in time, and take heed how ye do spend your time. Now ye have time, prize it; and shew mercy, that ye may receive mercy from the Lord; for he is coming to try all things, and will plead with all flesh, as by fire.'

Moreover, I laid before the judges what an hurtful thing it was that prisoners should lie so long in jail, shewing how that they learned badness one of another in talking of their bad deeds and therefore speedy justice should be done. For I was a tender youth, and dwelt in the fear of God, and I was grieved to hear their bad language, and was often made to reprove them for their wicked words and evil carriage towards each other: and people did admire that I was so preserved and kept, for they could never catch a word or action from me to make any thing of against me all the time that I was there; for the Lord's infinite power upheld and preserved me all that time; to him be praises and glory for ever!

Now, while I was here in prison, there was a young woman in the jail for robbing her master of some money; and when she was to be tried for her life, I wrote to the judge and to the jury about her, shewing them how contrary it was to the law of God in old time to put people to death for stealing, and moving them to shew mercy: yet she was condemned to die, and a grave was made for her; and at the time appointed she was carried forth to execution. Then I wrote a few words, warning all people to beware of greediness or covetousness, for it leads from God, but that all should fear the Lord, and avoid all earthly lusts, and prize their time while they have it: this I gave to be read at the gallows: and though they had her upon the ladder with a cloth bound over her face ready to be turned off, yet they did not put her to death, but brought her back again to prison: and in the prison she afterwards came to be convinced of God's everlasting truth.