fessors to feed on for awhile; and so shameless they were, that they printed it in a book.

Another time this priest came to another meeting, and fell to jangling. First he said the scriptures were the word of God. I told him they were the words of God, but not Christ, who is the Word; and bid him prove by scripture what he said. Then he said it was not the scripture that was the word; and setting his foot upon the bible, he said it was but copies bound up together. Many unsavory words came from him, but after he was gone we had a blessed meeting, and the Lord's power and presence was preciously manifested and felt among us. Soon after he sent me a challenge to meet me at Kendal; I sent him word he need not go so far as Kendal, for I would meet him in his own parish. So the hour being set, we met, and abundance of rude people were gathered there together (besides the baptized people who were his own members); and they had intended to have done mischief that day, but God prevented them. Now when we were met, I declared the day of the Lord to them, and directed them to Christ Jesus. Then the priest out with his bible, and said it was the word of God. I told him it was the words of God, but not God, the Word. His answer was, he would prove the scriptures to be the God before all the people. So I let him go on, having a man there that could take down in writing both what he said and what I said. And when he could not prove it (for I kept him to scripture proof, chapter and verse for it) the people gnashed their teeth for anger, and said he would have me anon; but in going about to prove that one error, he run into many. And when at length he saw he could not prove it, then he said he would prove it a God: so he toiled himself afresh, till he sweat again, but could not prove what he had affirmed. And he and his company were full of wrath; for I kept his assertions on the head of him and them all, and told them I owned what the scriptures said of themselves, namely, that they were the words of God, but Christ was the Word. So the Lord's power came over all, and they being confounded went away, and the Lord disappointed their mischievous intentions against me; and friends were established in Christ, and many of the priest's followers saw the folly of their teacher.

After this, as I came through the country visiting friends, priest Bennet of Cartmel sent a challenge to dispute with me: whereupon I came to his steeple-house on the firstday, and there found him preaching. When he had done, I spake to him and his people; but the priest would not

stand the trial, but went his way. After he was gone, I had a great deal of discourse with the people; and when I was come forth into the steeple-house-yard, and was discoursing further with the professors, and declaring truth unto them, one of them set his foot behind me, and two of them ran against my breast, and threw me down backwards against a grave-stone, wickedly and maliciously seeking to have spoiled me; but I got up again, and was moved of the Lord to speak to them. Then I went up to the priest's house, and desired him to come forth that I might discourse with him, seeing he had challenged me; but he would not at all come out or be seen. So the Lord's power came over them all, which was greatly manifested at that time. There was amongst the priest's hearers one Richard Roper, one of the bitterest professors the priest had; and he was very fierce and hot in his contention; but afterwards he came to be convinced of God's eternal truth, and became a minister thereof, and continued faithful to his death.

It was now about the beginning of the year 1653 when I returned to Swarthmore; and going to a meeting at Gleeston, a professor there challenged a dispute with me: whereupon I went to the house where he was, and called him to come forth; but the Lord's power was over him, so that he durst not meddle. Then I departed thence, and went and visited the meetings of friends in Lancashire, and so back to Swarthmore again: and great openings had from the Lord, not only of divine and spiritual matters, but also of outward things, relating to the civil government. For being one day in Swarthmore-ball, when judge Fell and justice Benson were talking of the news in the news-book, and of the parliament that was sitting (which was called the Long Parliament) I was moved to tell them, that before that day two weeks the parliament should be broken up, and the speaker plucked out of his chair. And that day two weeks justice Benson coming thither again, told judge Fell that now he saw George was a true prophet, for Oliver had broken up the parliament by that time.

About this time I was in a fast for about ten days, my spirit being greatly exercised on truth's behalf; for James Milner and Richard Myer went out into imaginations, and a company followed them. This James Milner, and some of his company, had true openings at the first; but getting up into pride and exaltation of spirit, they run out from truth. I was sent for to them, and was moved of the Lord to go, and shew them their goings forth and they came to see their folly, and condemned it, and came into the

way of truth again. After some time I went to a meeting at Arn-side, where Richard Myer was. Now he had been long lame of one of his arms; and I was moved of the Lord to say unto him, amongst all the people, Prophet Myer, stand up upon thy legs' (for he was sitting down): and he stood up, and stretched out his arm that had been lame a long time, and said, 'Be it known unto you, all people, that this day I am healed.' But his parents could hardly believe it; but after the meeting was done, had him aside, and took off his doublet, and then they saw it was true. He came soon after to Swarthmore meeting, and there declared how that the Lord had healed him. Yet after this the Lord commanded him to go to York with a message from him, and he disobeyed the Lord; and the Lord struck him again, so that he died about three quarters of a year after.

Now were great threatenings given forth in Cumber land, that if ever I came there again they would take away my life. When I heard it, I was drawn to go into Cumberland again, and went to one Miles Wennington's, in the same parish from which those threatenings came; but they had not power to touch me then.

Much about this time too it was that Anthony Pearson was convinced, who had been an opposer of friends. He came over to Swarthmore; and I being then at colonel West's, they sent for me; and colonel West said, 'Go, George, for it may be of great service to the man.' So I went, and the Lord's power reached him.

About this time also the Lord opened several mouths to declare the truth to priests and people, so that divers were cast into prison. And I went again into Cumberland, and Anthony Pearson and his wife, and several friends, went along with me to Bootle, where Anthony Pearson left me, and went on himself to Carlisle sessions; for he was a justice of the peace in three counties. Upon the first day of the week I went into the steeple-house at Bootle; and when the priest had done, I began to speak. But the people were exceeding rude, and struck and beat me in the steeple-house yard: one gave me a very great blow over my wrist, so that the people thought he had broken my hand to pieces. The constable was very willing to have kept the peace, and would have set some of them by the heels that struck me, if I would have given way to it. After my service at that time amongst them was over, I went to Joseph Nicholson's house, and the constable went a little way with us to keep off the rude multitude from us. In the afternoon I went up again; and then the priest

had got another priest to help him, one that came from London, and was highly accounted of. Before I went into the steeple-house, I sat a little upon the cross, and friends with me; but the friends were moved to go into the steeplehouse, and I went in after them. The London priest was preaching; who gathered up all the scriptures he could think of, that spake of false prophets, and antichrists, and deceivers, and threw them upon us : but when he had done I recollected all those scriptures, and brought them back upon himself. Then the people fell upon me in a rude manner; but the constable charged them to keep the peace, and so made them quiet again. Then the priest began to rage, and said I must not speak there: I told him he had his hour-glass, by which he had preached, and he having done, the time was free for me as well as for him, for he was but a stranger there himself. So I opened the scriptures to them, and let them see that those scriptures, that spake of the false prophets, and antichrists, and deceivers, described them and their generation, and belonged to them who were found walking in their steps, and bringing forth their fruits, and not unto us, who were not guilty of such things. And I manifested to them, that they were out of the steps of the true prophets and apostles; and shewed them clearly by the fruits and marks, that they were of those whom those scriptures spake of, and not we. And I declared the truth, and the word of life to the people, and directed them to Christ their teacher. And all was quiet while I was speaking: but when I had done, and was come forth, the priests were both of them in such a fret and rage, that they foamed at the mouth for anger against me. The priest of the place made an oration to the people in the steeple-house yard, and said, This man hath gotten all the honest men and women in Lancashire to him; and now,' said he, he comes here to do the same.' Then said I unto him, "What wilt thou have left? and what have the priests left them, but such as themselves? For if it be the honest that receive the truth, and are turned to Christ, then it must be the dishonest that follow thee, and such as thou art.' Some also of the priest's people did begin to plead for their priest, and for tithes; but I told them it were better for them to plead for Christ, who had ended the tithing-priesthood and the tithes, and had sent forth his ministers to give freely, as they had received freely. So the Lord's power came over them all, and put them to silence, and restrained the rude people, that they could not do the mischief they intended. And when I came down again to Joseph Nicholson's house

I saw a great hole in my coat, which was cut with a knife, but it was not cut through my doublet, for the Lord had prevented their mischief. And the next day there was a rude wicked man would have done violence to a friend, but the Lord's power stopped him.

Now was I moved to send James Lancaster to appoint a meeting at one John Wilkinson's steeple-house near Cockermouth, who was a preacher in great repute, and had three parishes under him; wherefore I staid at Milholm in Bootel till he came back again. In the mean time some of those they called the gentry of the country had made a plot against me, and had given a little boy a rapier, for him to do me a mischief with it. And they came with the boy to Joseph Nicholson's house to seek me; but the Lord had so ordered it, that I was not in the house, but was gone forth into the fields. They met with James Lancaster, but did not much abuse him; and not finding me in the house, after a while they went away again. So I walked up and down in the fields that night, and did not go to bed, as very often I used to do. The next morning we passed from thence, and came the next day to the steeple-house, where James Lancaster had appointed the meeting. There were at this meeting twelve soldiers and their wives, who were come thither from Carlisle ; and the country people came in, like as it had been to a fair. I lay at an house somewhat short of the place, so that many friends were got thither before me. And when I came there, I found James Lancaster speaking under a yew tree; which was so full of people that I feared they would break it down. I looked about for a place to stand upon, to speak unto the people; for they lay all up and down like people at a leaguer. But after a while that I was discovered, a professor came to me and asked if I would not go into the church; I seeing there was no place abroad convenient to speak to the people from, told him 'Yes ;' whereupon the people rushed in; so that when I came in, the house and pulpit was so full of people that I had much ado to get in; and they that could not get in stood abroad about the walls. When the people were settled, I stood up upon a seat; and the Lord opened my mouth to declare his everlasting truth, and his everlasting day; and to lay open all their teachers, and their rudiments, traditions, and inventions, that they had been in, in the night of apostacy since the apostles' days: and I turned them to Christ the true teacher, and to the true spiritual worship; directing them where to find the spirit and truth, that they might worship God therein. I opened Christ's parables