the dead out of the graves. Christ is now preached in and among the saints, the same that ever he was; and because his heavenly image is borne up in this his faithful servant, therefore doth fallen man (rulers, priests, and people) persecute him. Because he lives up out of the fall, and testifies against the works of the world, that the deeds thereof are evil, he suffers by you magistrates; not as an evil-doer. For thus it was ever, where the seed of God was kept in prison under the cursed nature, that nature sought to imprison them in whom it was raised. The Lord will make him to you as a burthensome stone; for the sword of the Spirit of the Almighty is put into the hands of the saints, which shall wound all the wicked, and shall not be put up till it hath cut down all corrupt judges, justices, magistrates, priests, and professors; till he hath brought his wonderful thing to pass in the earth; which is to make new heavens and a new earth, wherein shall dwell righteousness; which now he is about to do. Therefore fear the Lord God Almighty, ye judges, justices, commanders, priests, and people; ye that forget God, suddenly will the Lord come, and destroy you with an utter destruction, and will sweep your names out of the earth, and will restore his people judges, as at the first, and counsellors, as at the beginning. And all persecutors shall partake of the plagues of the whore, who hath made the kings of the earth and the great men drunk with the wine of her fornications, and hath drunk the blood of the saints; and therefore shall you be partakers of her plagues. We are not suffered to see our friend in prison, whom we witness to be a messenger of the living God. Now, all people, consider whether this be according to law, or from the wicked, perverse, envious will of the envious rulers and magistrates, who are of the same generation that persecuted Jesus Christ; for, said he, as they have done to me, so will they do to you.' And as he took the love, the kindness, and service that was showed and performed to any of his afflicted ones in their sufferings and distress, as done unto himself, so the injuries and wrongs that were done by any to any of his little ones, he resented, as done unto himself also. Therefore you, who are so far from visiting him yourselves in his suffering servant, that ye will not suffer his brethren to visit him, ye must depart, ye workers of iniquity, into the lake that burns with fire. The Lord is coming to thrash the mountains, and will beat them to dust; and all corrupt rulers, corrupt officers, and corrupt laws, the Lord will take vengeance on, by which the tender consciences of his people are oppressed. He will give his people his law, and will judge his people himself, not according to the sight of the eye, and hearing of the ear, but with righteousness, and with equity. Now are your hearts made manifest to be full of envy against the living truth of God, which is made manifest in his people, who are contemned and despised of the world, and scornfully called Quakers. You are worse than the heathens, that put Paul in prison, for none of his friends or acquaintance were hindered to come to him by them; therefore they shall be witnesses against you. Ye are made manifest to the saints, to be of the same generation that put Christ to death, and that put the apostles in prison on the same pretence that you act under, in calling truth error, and the ministers of God blasphemers, as they did. But the day is dreadful

and terrible, that shall come upon you, ye evil magistrates, priests, and people, who profess the truth in words outwardly, and yet persecute the power of truth, and them that stand in and for the truth. While ye have time prize it, and remember what is written Isa. liv. 17.”

GERVASE BENSON.

ANTHONY PEARSON.

Not long after this, the Lord's power came over the justices, and they were made to set me at liberty. But some time previous, the governor, and Anthony Pearson, came down into the dungeon to see the place where I was kept, and understand what usage I had. They found the place so bad, and the savour so ill, that they cried shame on the magistrates for suffering the jailer to do such things. They called for the jailers into the dungeon, and required them to find sureties for their good behaviour; and the under-jailer, who had been such a cruel fellow, they put into the dungeon with me, amongst the moss-troopers.

After I was set at liberty, I went to Thomas Bewley's, where came a Baptist teacher to oppose me; but he was convinced. Robert Widders being with me, was moved to go to Coldbeck steeple-house, and the Baptist teacher went along with him the same day. The people fell upon them, and almost killed Robert Widders; and took the Baptist's sword from him, and beat him sorely. This Baptist had the inheritance of an impropriation of tithes; and he went home, and gave it up freely. Robert Widders was sent to Carlisle jail, where having lain a while, he was set at liberty again.* William Dewsbury also went to another steeple-house hard by, and the people almost killed him, they beat him so; but the Lord's power was over all, and healed him again. In that day many Friends went to the steeplehouses, to declare the truth to the priests and people, and great sufferings they underwent; but the Lord's power sustained them.

Now I went into the country, and had mighty great meetings. The everlasting gospel and word of life flourished, and thousands were turned to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to his teaching. Several that had taken tithes, as impropriators, denied the receiving of them any longer, and delivered them up freely to the parishioners. Passing on into WESTMORLAND, I had many great meetings. At STRICKLAND-HEAD I had a large meeting, where a justice of peace out of Bishoprick, whose name was Henry Draper,

* Robert Widders is often mentioned in this Journal, having travelled with George Fox in Scotland, as also in many parts of America. They went through great perils by sea and land, in the wilderness and in woods, in danger of wild beasts; yet, through all the Lord supported him, and kept him faithful to the end. He was valiant for God's truth, establishing many in the faith. He was a great sufferer from persecutors; once, at Coldbeck, he was thrown down on the ground, and kicked and beaten so cruelly, that blood gushed out of his mouth, and he was supposed to be dead. At Lamplugh, his clothes were torn on his back, and the hair from off his head; and, at Bishop-Auckland, he was stoned and sorely bruised. His cattle, corn, and household goods were also swept away by wholesale, yet he was not at all dejected or concerned, knowing well for what he suffered. He was much resigned during his last sickness, often saying on his death-bed, "his heart was filled with the love of God;" and he departed this life in great peace in 1686, aged sixty-eight years.

came, and many contenders were there. The priests and magistrates were in a great rage against me in Westmorland, and had a warrant to appre hend me, which they renewed from time to time, for a long time; yet the Lord did not suffer them to serve it upon me. I travelled on amongst Friends, visiting the meetings till I came to SWARTHMORE, where I heard that the Baptists and professors in Scotland had sent to have a dispute with me. I sent them word, that I would meet them in Cumberland, at Thomas Bewley's house, whither accordingly I went, but none of them came. Some dangers at this time I underwent in my travels; for at one time, as we were passing from a meeting, and going through WIGTON on a market-day, the people of the town had set a guard with pitch-forks; and although some of their own neighbours were with us, they kept us out of the town, and would not let us pass through it, under the pretence of preventing the sickness; though there was no occasion for any such thing. However, they fell upon us, and had like to have spoiled us and our horses; but the Lord restrained them, that they did not much hurt; and we passed away. Another time, as I was passing between two Friends' houses, some rude fellows lay in wait in a lane, and exceedingly stoned and abused us; but at last, through the Lord's assistance, we got through them, and had not much hurt. But this showed the fruits of the priest's teaching, which shamed their profession of Christianity.

After I had visited Friends in that county, I went through the county into DURHAM, having large meetings by the way. A very large one I had at Anthony Pearson's, where many were convinced. From thence I passed through Northumberland to DERWENT-WATER, where there were great meetings; and the priests threatened that they would come, but none came. The everlasting word of life was freely preached, and freely received; and many hundreds were turned to Christ, their teacher.

In Northumberland many came to dispute, of whom some pleaded against perfection; unto whom I declared, "that Adam and Eve were perfect before they fell; and all that God made was perfect; and that the imperfection came by the Devil, and the fall; but Christ, that came to destroy the Devil, said, 'Be ye perfect." One of the professors alleged that Job said, "Shall mortal man be more pure than his Maker ? The heavens are not clean in his sight. God charged his angels with folly.” But I showed him his mistake, and let him see, "that it was not Job that said so, but one of those that contended against Job; for Job stood for perfection, and held his integrity; and they were called miserable comforters." Then these professors said, the outward body was the body of death and sin. I showed them their mistake in that also; for "Adam and Eve had each of them an outward body, before the body of death and sin got into them; and that man and woman will have bodies, when the body of sin and death is put off again; when they are renewed up into the image of God again by Christ Jesus, which they were in before they fell." So they ceased at that time from opposing further; and glorious meetings we had in the Lord's power.

Then we passed on to HEXHAM, where we had a great meeting at the top of a hill. The priest threatened he would come, and oppose us, but

he came not; so that all was quiet; and the everlasting day, and renowned truth of the everliving God was sounded over those dark countries, and his Son exalted over all. It was proclaimed amongst the people that "the day was now come, wherein all that made a profession of the Son of God, might receive him; and that to as many as would receive him, he would give power to become the sons of God, as he had done to me." And it was further declared, that "he that had the Son of God, had life eternal; but that he that had not the Son of God (though he professed all the Scriptures, from the first of Genesis to the last of the Revelations), had not life.” After all were directed to the light of Christ, by which they might see him and receive him, and know where their true teacher was; and the everlasting truth had been largely declared amongst them, we passed away through Hexham peaceably, and came to GILSLAND, a country noted for thieving.

Here a Friend seeing the priest, went to speak to him; whereupon the latter came down to our inn, and the town's-people gathered about us. The priest said, he would prove us deceivers out of the Bible, but could find no Scripture for his purpose. Then he went into the inn; and after a while came out again, and brought some broken sentences of Scripture, that mention "the doctrines and commandments of men, &c., and, touch not, taste not, &c., for they perish with the using." All which, poor man! was his own condition; whereas we were persecuted, because we would not taste, nor touch, nor handle their doctrines and traditions, which we knew perished with the using. I asked him what he called the steeple-house? "O," said he, "the dreadful house of God, the temple of God." showed him, and the poor dark people, that their bodies should be the temples of God; and that Christ never commanded these temples, but ended that temple at Jerusalem, which God had commanded. While I was speaking, the priest got away; and afterwards the people appeared as if they feared we would take their purses, or steal their horses; judging us like themselves, who are naturally given to thieving.

Then I

The next day we came through the country into CUMBERLAND again, where we had a general meeting of many thousands of people at the top of a hill near LANGLANDS. A glorious and heavenly meeting it was; for the glory of the Lord did shine over all; and there were as many as one could well speak over, the multitude was so great. Their eyes were fixed on Christ their teacher; and they came to sit under their own vine; insomuch that Francis Howgill, coming afterwards to visit them, found they had no need of words; for they were sitting under their teacher Christ Jesus; in the sense whereof, he sat down amongst them, without speaking anything. A great convincement there was in Cumberland, Durham, Northumberland, Westmorland, Lancashire, and Yorkshire; and the plants of God grew, and flourished, the heavenly rain descending, and God's glory shining upon them, so that many mouths were opened by the Lord to his praise; yea, to babes and sucklings he ordained strength.

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CHAPTER VII.

1653-1654.-George Fox disputes most of the day with priest Wilkinson-many Friends lose their business for declining the world's salutations, but afterwards their tried faithfulness and integrity procure them more than their neighbours. -George Fox issues an address to Friends everywhere-two persecuting justices at Carlisle are cut off, and a third disgraced-George Fox passes through Halifax, a rude town of professors—at Synderhill-Green he has a mighty meeting of some thousands, and there was a general convincement-about sixty ministers are now raised up in the north, to travel towards the south, the east, and the west, in Truth's service-George Fox's address to Friends in the ministry-Rice Jones and many other false prophets rise up against Friends and are blasted—a wicked man binds himself with an oath to kill George Fox, but is prevented-great convincement in Lincolnshire-at Swannington George Fox has much controversy with professors-has a great dispute with priest Stevens, and seven other priests at Drayton-his father being present was convinced, and said, "Truly I see he that will but stand to the truth it will carry him out."-Priest Stevens propagates lies respecting George Fox, which the Lord swept away-is taken before Col. Hacker, who sends him to the Protector-speaks prophetically to the Colonelhas a friendly conference with the Protector-is dismissed by him very friendlyrefuses his entertainment-Captain Drury scoffs at trembling, but is made to tremble in a remarkable manner-George Fox prays with some officers, who are greatly shaken by the Lord's power-priests and professors greatly disturbed because many of their people are convinced, and moved to declare against the

rest.

AFTER my release from Carlisle prison, I was moved to go to priest Wilkinson's steeple-house again at BRIGHAM; and being got in before him, when he came in, I was declaring the truth to the people, though they were but few; for the most and the best of his hearers were turned to Christ's free teaching; and we had a meeting of Friends hard by, where Thomas Stubbs was declaring the word of life amongst them. As soon as the priest came in, he opposed me; and there we stayed most part of the day; for when I began, he opposed me; so if any law was broken, he broke it. When his people would be haling me out, I manifested his fruits to be such, as Christ spoke of, when he said, " they shall hale you out of their synagogues ;" and then he would be ashamed, and they would let me alone. There he stood till it was almost night, jangling and opposing me, and would not go to his dinner; for he thought to weary me out. last, the Lord's power and truth came so over him, that he packed away with his people. When he was gone, I went to the meeting of Friends, who were turned to the Lord, and by his power established on Christ, the rock and foundation of the true prophets and apostles, but not of the false.

But at

About this time the priests and professors fell to prophesying against us afresh. They had said long before, that we should be destroyed within a month; and after that, they prolonged the time to half a-year; but that time being long expired, and we mightily increased in number, they now gave forth, that we would eat out one another. For often after meetings,