people were turned by the Spirit of God in them to God, and to Christ their teacher. And the powerful word of life was largely declared that day; and in the life and power of God we brake up our meeting; and that rude company went their way to Halifax. The people asked them why they did not kill me, according to the oath they had sworn; and they maliciously answered, that I had so bewitched them, that they could not do it: thus was the devil chained at that time. Friends told me that they used to come at other times, and be very rude and unruly; and sometimes break their stools and seats, and make fearful work amongst them; but the Lord's power had now bound them. Shortly after this, that butcher, that had been accused of killing a man and a woman before, and who was one of them that had then bound himself by an oath to kill me, killed another man, and was thereupon sent to York jail. Another of those rude butchers, who had also sworn to kill me, having accustomed himself to thrust his tongue out of his mouth, in derision of friends, when they passed by him, had his tongue so swollen out of his mouth, that he could never draw it in again, but died so. Several strange and sudden judgments came upon many of these conspirators against me, which would be too large here to declare. God's vengeance from heaven came upon the blood-thirsty, who sought after blood: for all such spirits I laid before the Lord, and left them to him to deal with them, who is stronger than them all; in whose power I was preserved, and carried on to do his work. The Lord hath raised a fine people in those parts, whom he hath drawn to Christ, and gathered in his name; who feel Christ amongst them, and sit under his teaching.

After this I passed through the countries till I came to Balby; from whence several friends went with me into Lincolnshire, where I had formerly been; of whom some went to the steeple-houses, and some to private meetings. There came to the meeting where I was, the sheriff of Lincoln, and several with him, who made a great contention and jangling for a time. But at length the Lord's power struck him, that he was convinced of the truth, and received the word of life, as did several others also that did oppose, and continued among friends till they died. Great meetings there were, and a large convincement in those parts; many were turned to the Lord Jesus, and came to sit under his teaching; leaving their priests, and. their superstitious ways; and the day of the Lord flourished over all. Amongst them that came to our meetings in that country, there was one called Sir Richard Wrey, and he

was convinced; as was also his brother, and his brother's wife, who abode in the truth, and died therein, though he afterwards run out.

Having visited those countries, I came into Derbyshire; and the sheriff of Lincoln, who was lately convinced, came with me. In one meeting we had some opposition, but the Lord's glorious power gave dominion over all. At night there came a company of bailiffs and serving-men, and called me out; so I went out to them, having some friends with me. When I was come out, they were exceeding rude and violent; for they had, it seems, complotted together, and intended to have carried me away with them in the dark of the evening by force; and then to have done me a mischief: but the Lord's power went over them, and chained them, so that they could not effect their design; and at last they went away. The next day, Thomas Aldam understanding that the serving-men belonged to one called a knight (who lived not far off) went to his house, and laid before him the bad carriage of his servants; and the knight seemed to rebuke them, and did not allow of their evil carriage towards us.

After this we came into Nottinghamshire to Skegby, where we had a great meeting of all sorts of people: and the Lord's power went over them, and all was quiet; and the people were turned to the Spirit of God, by which many came to receive his power, and to sit under the teaching of Christ their Saviour. A great people the Lord bath that aways.

Then I passed towards Kidsley Park, where there came many ranters; but the Lord's power checked them. From thence I went up into the Peak country towards Thomas Hammersly's, where there came the ranters of that country, and many high professors. The ranters opposed me, and fell a swearing; and when I reproved them for swearing, they would bring scripture for it, and said, Abraham, and Jacob, and Joseph swore; and the priests and Moses, and the prophets swore, and the angels swore. Then Í told them, I did confess all these did so, as the scripture records; but, said I, Christ (who said, "Before Abraham was, I am") saith, "Swear not at all." And Christ ends the prophets, and the old priesthood, and the dispensation of Moses, and reigns over the house of Jacob and of Joseph; and he says, "Swear not at all." And God, when he bringeth in the first-begotten into the world, saith, "Let all the angels of God worship him," to wit, Christ Jesus, who saith, "Swear not at all." And as for the plea that men make for swearing to end their strife,

Christ, who says, "Swear not at all," destroys the devil and his works, who is the author of strife, for that is one of his works. And God said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." So the Son is to be heard, who forbids swearing. And the apostle James, who did hear the Son of God, and followed him, and preached him, forbids all oaths, James v. 12. So the Lord's power went over them, and his Son, and his doctrine was set over them; and the word of life was fully and richly preached, and many were convinced that day. This Thomas Hammersly being summoned to serve upon a jury, was admitted to serve without an oath; and he being foreman of the jury, when he brought in the verdict, the judge did declare, that he had been a judge so many years, but never heard a more upright verdict than that Quaker had then brought in. Much might be written of things of this nature, which time would fail to declare. But the Lord's blessed power and truth was exalted over all, who is worthy of all praise and glory for ever!

Thus travelling through Derbyshire, I visited friends till I came to Swanington in Leicestershire, where there was a general meeting, to which many ranters came, and baptists, and other professors; for great contests there had been with them, and with the priests in that town. To this meeting several friends came from several parts, as John Audland, and Francis Howgil, and Edward Pyot from Bristol, and Edward Burrough from London; and several were convinced in those parts. The ranters that came to the meeting, made a disturbance, and were very rude, but at last the Lord's power came over them, and they were confounded. The next day Jacob Bottomley, a great ranter, came from Leicester; but the Lord's power stopped him, and came over them all. There came a priest too, but he also was confounded by the mighty power of the Lord; for about this time the priests, and the baptists, and the ranters, and other professors, were very rude, and stirred up the rude people against us. Now we sent to the ranters to come forth, and try their God; and there came abundance of them, who were very rude, and sung, and whistled, and danced; but the Lord's power so confounded them that many of them came to be convinced.

After this I came to Twy-cross, whither came some ranters again, and they sang and danced before me. But I was moved in the dread of the Lord to speak to them, and reprove them; and the Lord's power came over them, so that some of them were reached, and convinced, and re

ceived the Spirit of God; and are come to be a pretty people, living and walking soberly in the truth of Christ. So I went to Anthony Brickley's in Warwickshire, where there was a great meeting; and several baptists and other people came and jangled; but the Lord's power came over them.

Then went I to Drayton in Leicestershire to visit my relations; and as soon as I was come in, Nathaniel Stephens the priest, having gotten another priest, and given notice to the country, sent down to me to come up to them, for they could not do any thing till I came. Now I, having been three years away from my relations, knew nothing of their design and intentions. But at last I went up into the steeple-house-yard where the two priests were, and they had gathered abundance of people. When I came there, they would have had me gone into the steeple-house. I asked them what I should do there; and they said, Mr. Stephens could not bear the cold. I told them, he might bear it as well as I. At last we went into a great hall, and there was Richard Farnsworth with me; and a great dispute we had with these priests, concerning the practice of the priests, how contrary they were to Christ and his apostles. The priests would know, where tithes were forbidden, or ended: whereupon 1 shewed them out of the seventh chapter to the Hebrews, that not only tithes, but the priesthood that took tithes, was ended; and the law was ended and disannulled, by which the priesthood was made and tithes were commanded to be paid. Then the priests stirred up the people to some lightness and rudeness. Now I had known this priest Stephens from a child, therefore I laid open his condition, and the manner of his preaching; and how that he, like the rest of the priests, did apply the promises to the first birth, which must die: but I shewed that the promises were to the seed, not to many seeds, but to one seed, Christ, who was one in male and female; for all were to be born again before they could enter into the kingdom of God. Then he said, I must not judge so; but I told him, he that was spiritual judged all things. Then he confessed, that that was a full scripture; but neighbours, said he, this is the business, George Fox is come to the light of the sun, and now he thinks to put out my star-light. Then I told him, I would not quench the least measure of God in any, much less put out his star-light, if it were true star-light, light from the morning star. But I told him, if he had any thing from Christ or God, he ought to speak it freely, and not take tithes from the people for preaching, seeing Christ com

:

manded his ministers to give freely, as they had received freely. So I charged him to preach no more for tithes, or any hire; but he said he would not yield unto that. Then after awhile the people began to be vain and rude; whereupon we broke up; yet some were made loving to the truth that day. Now before we parted, I told them that, if the Lord would, I intended to be at the town that day sevennight again; and in the interim I went into the country, and had meetings, and came thither again that day sevennight. Against that time this priest had got seven priests to help him for priest Stephens had given notice at a lecture on a market day at Adderston, that such a day there would be a meeting and a dispute with me but I knew nothing of it: but only had said, I should be in town that day seven-night again. Now these eight priests had gathered several hundreds of people, even most of the country thereabouts, and they would have had me into the steeple-house; but I would not go in, but got on a hill, and there spoke to them and the people. There was with me Thomas Taylor, who had been a priest; and James Parnel, and several other friends. The priests thought that day to have trampled down truth; but the truth came over them. And then they grew light, and the people rude; and the priests would not stand to trial with me; but would be contending here and there a little, with one friend or other. At last one of the priests brought his son to dispute with me; but his mouth was soon stopped and when he could not tell how to answer, he would go ask his father and his father was confounded also, when he came to answer for his son. So after they had toiled themselves, they went away in a rage to priest Stephens's house to drink and as they went away, I said, I never came in a place where so many priests together would not stand the trial with me. Whereupon they and some of their wives came about me, and laid hold on me, and fawningly said, what might I have been, if it had not been for the Quakers and then they fell a pushing of friends to and fro, to thrust them from me, and to pluck me to themselves. After a while several lusty fellows came, and took me up in their arms, and carried me into the steeple house porch, intending to have carried me into the steeple-house by force; but the door being locked, they fell down on an heap, having me under them. As soon as I could I got up from under them, and got to my hill again: then they got me from that place again, and got me to the steeple-house wall, and set me on a bass, like a stool and all the priests being come back, stood under with the people. And the