The news of the King’s death was no sooner come into Scotland, but Charles, Prince of Wales, was proclaimed, at Edinburgh, King of Great Britain, provided he should, before assuming the royal authority, give satisfaction about some matters concerning religion. And though this displeased the English, yet the Scots asserted that they might as well do so, as the English, who had done the same at the death of the late King’s father, in the year 1625.
1649.
Leaving state affairs, let us return to G. Fox, who in the year 1649, was much exercised to declare openly against all sorts of sins: and therefore he went not only to the courts, crying for justice, and exhorting the judges and justices to do justice, but he warned also those that kept public houses for entertainment, not to let people have more drink than what would do them good. He also testified against wakes, may-games, plays, and shows, by which people were led into vanity, and drawn off from the fear of God; the days that were set forth for holidays, being usually the times wherein God was most dishonoured. When he came into markets, he also declared against deceitful merchandising, and warned all to deal justly, and to speak the truth; and he testified against the mountebanks playing tricks on their stages: and when occasion offered, he warned schoolmasters and schoolmistresses to teach their children to mind the fear of the Lord; saying, that they themselves ought to be examples and patterns of virtue to them. But very burdensome it was to him, when he heard the bell ring to call people together to the steeple-house; for it seemed to him just like a market bell, to gather the people, that the priest might set forth his ware to sale.
Going once on a First-day of the week, in the morning, with some of his friends to Nottingham, to have a meeting there; and having seen from the top of a hill the great steeple-house of the town, he felt it required of him to cry against that idol temple, and the worshippers therein: yet he said nothing of this to those that were with him, but went on with them to the meeting, where after some stay he left them, and went away to the steeple-house, where the priest took for his text these words of the Apostle, 2 Pet. i. 19. “We have also a most sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts.” And he told the people that this was the Scripture, by which they were to try all doctrines, religions, and opinions. G. Fox hearing this, felt such mighty power, and godly zeal working in him, that he was made to cry out, ‘O no, it is not the Scripture, but it is the Holy Spirit, by which the holy men of God gave forth the Scriptures, whereby opinions, religions, and judgments are to be tried. That was it which led into all truth, and gave the knowledge thereof. For the Jews had the Scriptures, and yet resisted the Holy Ghost, and rejected Christ, the bright morning star, and persecuted him and his Apostles; though they took upon them to try their doctrine by the Scriptures; but they erred in judgment, and did not try them aright, because they did it without the Holy Ghost.’ Thus speaking, the officers came and took him away, and put him into a nasty stinking prison. At night he was brought before the mayor, aldermen, and sheriffs of the town; and they examining him, he told them, that the Lord had moved him to come there into the steeple-house: and though the mayor at first appeared peevish and fretful, yet he was allayed: however, after some discourse, G. Fox was sent back to prison. But some time after, the head sheriff John Reckless sent for him to his house, and when G. Fox came in, the sheriff’s wife met him in the hall, and taking him by the hand said, ‘Salvation is come to our house;’ for his speech in the steeple-house had so amazed many, that they could not get the sound of it out of their ears; and not only this woman was wrought upon, but also her husband, children, and servants were much changed by the power of the Lord.
George Fox thus coming to lodge at this sheriff’s house, had great meetings there, and some persons of quality in the world came to them; and they were reached very eminently in their minds by an invisible power. Reckless being of this number, sent for the other sheriff, and for a woman they traded with; and he told her in the presence of the other sheriff, that they had wronged her in their dealings with her, and that therefore they ought to make her restitution; to which Reckless exhorted the other sheriff, being himself made sensible, that this was an indispensable duty: for a mighty change was now wrought in him, and his understanding came to be opened; so that on the next market day, as he was walking with G. Fox in the chamber, in his slippers, he said, ‘I must go into the market and preach repentance to the people;’ and accordingly he went in his slippers into the market, and into several streets, preaching repentance. Some others also in the town were moved to speak to the mayor and magistrates, and to the people, exhorting them to repent. But this the magistrates could not endure; and to vent their passion on G. Fox, they sent for him from the sheriff’s house, and committed him to the common prison, where he was kept till the assizes came on, and then he was to have been brought before the judge, but that the sheriff’s man being somewhat long in fetching him, the judge was risen before G. Fox came to the session-house; however, the judge was a little displeased, having said, ‘He would have admonished the youth, (meaning G. Fox,) if he had been brought before him.’ So he was carried back again to prison. In the meanwhile such a wonderful power broke forth among his friends, that many were astonished at it, so that even several of the priests were made tender, and some did confess to the power of the Lord. Now though the people began to be very rude, yet the governor of the castle was so moderate, that he sent down soldiers to disperse them. G. Fox having been kept prisoner a pretty long time, was at length set at liberty, and then travelled as before in the work of the Lord.
Coming to Mansfield-Woodhouse, he found there a distracted woman under a doctor’s hand, being bound, and with her hair loose; and the doctor being about to let her blood, could get no blood from her; which made G. Fox desire to unbind her; and after this was done, he spoke to her, and bade her in the name of the Lord, to be quiet and still. This proved of such effect that she became still; and her mind coming to be settled, she mended, and afterwards received the doctrine of truth, and continued in it to her death.
Whilst G. Fox was in this place, he was moved to go to the steeple-house, and declare there the truth to the priest and the people; which doing, the people fell upon him, and struck him down, almost smothering him, for he was cruelly beaten and bruised with their hands, bibles, and sticks. Then they hauled him out, though hardly able to stand, and put him in the stocks, where he sat some hours: and they brought horsewhips, threatening to whip him. After some time they had him before the magistrates, at a knight’s house; who seeing how ill he had been used, set him at liberty, after much threatening. But the rude multitude stoned him out of town; and