Margaret Fell the next day hearing what was befallen G. Fox, sent an horse for him; but he was so sore bruised, that he was not able to bear the shaking of the horse, without much pain. When he was come to Swarthmore, the justices Sawrey and Thompson gave forth a warrant against him; but judge Fell coming home, made it ineffectual, and sent out warrants into the Isle of Walney, to apprehend all those riotous persons: whereupon some of them fled the country. But what is remarkable, James Lancaster’s wife, who so wickedly behaved herself, repented so of her evil, that she became afterwards one of G. Fox’s friends.
Judge Fell now desired of G. Fox a relation of what had befallen him: but he was backward, and said, that those people could not do otherwise in the spirit they were; and that they manifested the fruits of their priests’ ministry. Which made the judge afterward say to his wife, ‘G. Fox spoke of the things as a man that had not been concerned.’
The occasion upon which a warrant was issued out against him, was a design the priests had laid to touch his life; in order to which a report was spread, that in a certain meeting he had spoken blasphemy; and they, to maintain this forgery, had suborned false witnesses. The time of the sessions at Lancaster being come, G. Fox went thither with judge Fell, who on the way told him, that such a matter had never been brought before him, and that he did not know what to do in the case. But G. Fox said, ‘When Paul was brought before the rulers, and the Jews and priests accused him of many false things, he stood still all that while, till they had done; and when they had done, Felix, the governor, beckoned to him to speak for himself. And so, said G. Fox, thou mayest do by me.’
Being come to Lancaster, at the sessions, there appeared about forty priests against him; and these had chosen one Marshal, priest of Lancaster, to be their speaker; and the witnesses they had provided, were a young priest, and two priests’ sons. When the justices were set, and had heard all the charges of the priests and witnesses; which were, that G. Fox had said, that God taught deceit, and that the Scripture contained but a parcel of lies; the witnesses were examined upon oath; but they were so confounded, and at such a loss, that one of them, not being able to answer directly to what was asked him, said, the other could say it; which made the justices say, ‘Have you sworn it, and do you now say, the other can say it? It seems you did not hear those words spoken yourself, though you have given it in upon your oath.’ There were several persons in the court, who declared that they had heard one of the two priests’ sons say, if he had power he would make George deny his profession; and that he would take away his life. The young priest, who also was a witness, confessed, that he should not have meddled with the thing, had not another priest sent for him, and set him on work. After all the accusations had been heard, several men of reputation in the country affirmed in court, that no such words, as had been sworn against G. Fox, were spoken by him at the meeting; for most of the serious men on that side of the county, that were then at the sessions, had been at that meeting, wherein the witnesses swore he spake the aforesaid blasphemous words. Colonel West, being a justice of the peace, and then upon the bench, was so well pleased with these evidences, that he, (having long been weak in body,) said he blessed the Lord that had healed him that day; adding, that he never saw so many sober people, and good faces together in all his life. And then turning himself to G. Fox, said, ‘George, if thou hast any thing to say to the people, thou mayest freely declare it.’ Then he began to speak; but priest Marshal, the orator for the other priests, went away presently. Now that which G. Fox declared, was, that ‘the holy Scriptures were given forth by the Spirit of God; and that all people must first come to the Spirit of God in themselves, by which they might know God and Christ, of whom the prophets and apostles learnt, and also know the holy Scriptures. For as the Spirit of God was in them that gave forth the Scripture; so the same Spirit of God must also be in those that come to know and understand the Scriptures: by which Spirit they might have fellowship with the Father, and with the Son, and with one another: and that without that Spirit, they could know neither God nor Christ, nor the Scriptures, nor have right fellowship with one another.’ No sooner had he spoken these words, but about half a dozen priests burst out into a passion, and one of them, whose name was Jackus, said that the Spirit and the letter were inseparable: which made G. Fox answer, ‘Then every one that hath the letter, hath the Spirit; and they might buy the Spirit with the letter of the Scripture.’ To which judge Fell, and colonel West added, that according to that position, they might carry the Spirit in their pockets, as they did the Scriptures. The justices also bid Jackus prove what he had said. But he finding himself caught, would have denied it; and the other priests endeavoured to disguise his words with a pretended meaning. But the justices would admit no other meaning, than the plain sense of the words. And seeing the witnesses did not agree, and perceiving that they were set on by the envy of the priests, they discharged him, and after judge Fell had spoken to the justices Sawrey and Thompson, concerning the warrant they had given forth against G. Fox, showing that this tended to encourage such riots as those in the Isle of Walney, he and colonel West granted a supersedeas, to stop the execution of the said warrant.
G. Fox, being thus cleared in open sessions, many people rejoiced, and were that day convinced of the Truth declared by him in the court; and among these, one justice Benson, and the mayor of Lancaster, whose name was Ripan; also one Thomas Briggs, who had been very averse to, and an opposer of, the Quakers so called; and this same Briggs became afterwards a faithful minister of the gospel amongst them, and remained so to the end of his days.
G. Fox stayed yet some days at Lancaster. But to relate all that he and his friends met with, is not my intention; for to set down at large all such occurrences, would be a work requiring more leisure and strength than can be expected from me. And therefore I intend only to describe what I find most remarkable; though many notable things have happened, of which I could not fully be informed in every circumstance, as name, place, time, &c. But it is probable that this may give occasion in England, to some other author after me, to make such discoveries, that posterity will wonder at it. For such abuses as G. Fox met with, was the share also of many others of his friends, especially the preachers, who this year were no less than twenty-five in number; and almost in every place where they came, they met with opposition, and became as it were the prey of the rude multitude. But neither the beating, buffeting, nor stoning of the mad rabble, nor the jails, nor whippings that befel them from the magistrates, were able to stop the progress of the doctrine they preached to the people in markets, streets, and also in steeple-houses. And many and even of those that had been enraged like wolves, became afterwards like lambs; and suffered patiently from others, what formerly they themselves, in a blind zeal, had committed.
Thus the Quakers so called, by a firm and lasting patience, have surmounted the greatest difficulties, and are at length become a numerous people, many not valuing their own lives, when they met with any opportunity for the service of God. And though their enemies on this account, have charged them with stubbornness and obstinacy, yet they meekly resigned to what befel them, well knowing that thus to be accused hath been always the lot of those who suffered for the testimony of truth. Neither could they be charged with resistance or making head against their persecutors; for one man did sometimes lead a great many of them to prison, who never forsook their religious assemblies, how hot soever persecution was. That this was also the practice of the primitive Christians, appears by what Cyprian, who died a martyr, wrote to Demetrian, viz. Nemo nostrum, quando apprehenditur, reluctatur; nec se adversus injustam violentiam vestram, quamvis nimius et copiosus sit noster populus, ulciscitur.[5] But let not my reader think, that these I have described have been the greatest sufferings of this harmless people; for I believe them to have been an hundred times more than my pen will be able to mention. Now I take up again the thread of my relation.
[5] No one of us makes resistance when he is