In the evening he came again into the house of judge Fell, where he took occasion to speak to the servants, and those of the family, who most of them came so effectually to be convinced by him, that they embraced the Truth which he preached. Among these, was also William Caton, of whom more hereafter. Margaret Fell in the meanwhile being come home, was so reached, that she scarce knew what to do, her husband being from home; for she clearly perceived what she had heard G. Fox preach, was truth.
The First-day after, he went to Aldenham steeple-house, where, when the priest had done, he spoke to the people, and admonished them to return to the Lord. From thence he went to Ramside, where was a chapel, in which one Thomas Lawson, who was an eminent priest, used to preach; who having some notice of G. Fox’s coming, preached in the morning, and told the people that G. Fox was to come there in the afternoon; by which means very many people were gathered together. When he came, he saw there was no place so convenient to speak to the people as the chapel, and therefore he went into it. The priest Lawson, willing to give a full opportunity to G. Fox, went not up into the pulpit, but left all the time to him. And G. Fox so powerfully declared the doctrine of Truth, that many received it, and among these, the priest himself, who left off his preaching for hire, and in process of time, came to preach the Lord Jesus Christ, and his glorious gospel freely; which however did not hinder him to exercise himself in the knowledge of herbs, wherein he came to be so experienced, that he was, as I have been told, one of the most skilful herbalists in England; which gave occasion to an eminent botanist, who at first seemed a little shy of him, when he perceived his great skill, to love him as a singular friend. But this transiently.
Now I return again to G. Fox, who having performed his service about Ramside, went somewhere else, and came also to Brerecliff, where he found some people that told him, they could not dispute. But he bid them to fear the Lord, and not to speak the words of God in an airy manner, but to do the things required. Moreover, that they ought to mind the light of Christ, and take heed to his Spirit in their hearts, whereby they would come to see their evil thoughts, words, and actions; for this light, (he said,) would show them their sins, and by following this light, they should also see that their Saviour Christ Jesus, saved them from sin: and he said, the first step to peace was to stand still in the light, which showed them their sins and transgressions; by which they should see they were in the fall of the old Adam, in darkness and death, alienated from the covenant of the promise, and without God in the world; and that Christ who died for them, was their Saviour and Redeemer, and their way to God. After G. Fox had spoken thus, he went to a new built chapel near Gleaston, wherein none had yet preached: hither came a great many people, unto whom he preached, and many were convinced.
From thence he returned to Swarthmore again; for Margaret Fell being full of fear, and expecting her husband’s return home, had desired G. Fox to come, since some of the great ones of the country, being gone to meet her husband, had informed him, that a great disaster had befallen the family: and that the Quakers were witches, and had turned them from their religion; and that he must send them away, or all the country would be undone. Without all question, this was a very sad message to judge Fell, for he came home greatly offended: and one may easily think what a condition his wife was in, being in fear that she should either displease her husband, or offend God.
At that time Richard Farnsworth and James Nayler were at her house, and she desired them to speak to her husband; which they did very moderately and wisely: and though at first he was displeased, yet after he had heard them speak, he was better satisfied. And they making as if they would go away, she desired them to stay, because she expected G. Fox that evening; and she wished for an opportunity, that both he and they might speak to her husband, whereby he might satisfy himself further about them. Dinner in the meantime being ready, judge Fell, and his wife Margaret, sat down at table, and whilst they were sitting, an extraordinary power seizing on her, made such an operation on her mind, that he was struck with amazement, and knew not what to think of it; but he was quiet and still; and the children also were become so grave and modest, that they could not play on their music they were learning. At night G. Fox came, and judge Fell sitting in the parlour, Margaret asked him if G. Fox might come in; and he said, ‘Yes.’ George then coming in without any compliment, began to speak presently; at which the family, as well as J. Nayler, and R. Farnsworth, entered. He now speaking, declared what the practice of Christ and the apostles was in their day; and showed how the apostacy came in since; and what was the practice of the modern priests in the apostacy. He also answered all the objections of judge Fell, and so thoroughly satisfied him by the Scriptures, that he was convinced in his judgment, and asked if he was that George Fox whom justice Robinson had spoken so much in commendation of amongst many of the parliament men? To this G. Fox answered him, that he had been with the justices Robinson and Hotham in Yorkshire; that they had been very civil and loving to him, and that they were convinced in their judgments by the Spirit of God, that the principle he bore testimony to was the Truth; and that they saw beyond the priests of the nation. All this so satisfied judge Fell, that he was very quiet that night, and went to bed. The next morning came Lampitt, the priest of Ulverstone, and walking with the judge into the garden, spoke much to him there, to render the doctrine of the Quakers odious to him, having also said to others, that G. Fox held strange notions. But judge Fell had seen the night before so much, that the priest got little entrance upon him. And when Lampitt came into the house again, G. Fox spoke sharply to him, and asked him, when God spake to him, and called him to preach to the people. The priest not liking such questions, it was not long before he went away. And whilst some were speaking how several in those parts were convinced of the Truth now declared, and that they knew not where to get a meeting place; judge Fell hearing them, said of his own accord, ‘You may meet in my hall, if you will.’ So the next First-day there was at his house a meeting, and a large one indeed, being the first meeting of the people called Quakers, that was at Swarthmore; and so it continued to be kept there until the year 1690, when a new meeting-house was built there. Judge Fell not being willing to appear in that meeting, went that day to the steeple-house, and none with him but his clerk and his groom. Yet in process of time he came to be so well affected to the doctrine of the Quakers, so called, that though he did not enter publicly into their society, yet he loved them, and several years before his death, did not frequent the steeple-house any more.
After G. Fox had stayed some days at the house of judge Fell, he went to Lancaster, and there preached in the market; and on the next First-day, had a great meeting in the street, amongst the soldiers, to whom he declared the Truth; and in the afternoon went to the steeple-house; but speaking there, and directing people to the Spirit of God, he was hauled out, and stoned along the street.
Then having travelled about some time, and preached in some places, sometimes with rude opposition, he returned to Swarthmore, where discoursing with several priests at judge Fell’s house, he asked them, whether any of them ever heard the voice of God or Christ, commanding them to go to any people, and declare the word of the Lord to them. But none of them answered this with Yea: yet one saying, ‘I can speak of my experience as much as you;’ G. Fox told him experience was one thing, but to go with a message, and to have the word of the Lord, as the prophets and apostles had, was quite another. An ancient priest, whose name was Thomas Taylor, did ingenuously confess before judge Fell, that he had never heard the voice of God, nor of Christ, but that he spoke his experiences, and the experiences of the saints in former ages. This very much confirmed judge Fell in the persuasion he had already, that the priests were not what they pretended