CHAPTER IV (3)

Then I passed up and down through the countries, having meetings amongst friendly people in many places; but my relations were offended at me. After some time I returned into Nottinghamshire, to Mansfield, and went into Derbyshire, visiting Friends. Then passing into Yorkshire, I preached repentance through Doncaster, and several other places; and after came to Balby, where Richard Farnsworth[10] and some others were convinced. So travelling through several places, preaching repentance, and the word of life to the people, I came into the parts about Wakefield, where James Naylor lived; he and Thomas Goodyear came to me, and were both convinced, and received the truth. William Dewsbury[11] also and his wife, with many more, came to me, who were convinced, and received the truth.

From thence I passed through the country towards Captain Pursloe’s house by Selby, and visited John Leek, who had been to visit me in Derby prison, and was convinced. I had a horse, but was fain to leave him, not knowing what to do with him; for I was moved to go to many great houses, to admonish and exhort the people to turn to the Lord. Thus passing on, I was moved of the Lord to go to Beverley steeple-house, which was then a place of high profession; and being very wet with rain, I went first to an inn, and as soon as I came to the door, a young woman of the house came to the door, and said, “What, is it you? come in,” as if she had known me before; for the Lord’s power bowed their hearts. So I refreshed myself and went to bed; and in the morning, my clothes being still wet, I got ready, and having paid for what I had had in the inn, I went up to the steeple-house, where was a man preaching. When he had done, I was moved to speak to him, and to the people, in the mighty power of God, and turned them to their teacher, Christ Jesus. The power of the Lord was so strong, that it struck a mighty dread amongst the people. The mayor came and spoke a few words to me; but none of them had any power to meddle with me. So I passed away out of the town, and in the afternoon went to another steeple-house about two miles off. When the priest had done, I was moved to speak to him, and to the people very largely, showing them the way of life and truth, and the ground of election and reprobation. The priest said, he was but a child, and could not dispute with me; I told him I did not come to dispute, but to hold forth the word of life and truth unto them, that they might all know the one Seed, which the promise of God was to, both in the male and in the female. Here the people were very loving, and would have had me come again on a week-day, and preach among them; but I directed them to their teacher, Christ Jesus, and so passed away.

The next day I went to Cranswick, to Captain Pursloe’s, who accompanied me to Justice Hotham’s. This Justice Hotham was a tender man, one that had some experience of God’s workings in his heart. After some discourse with him of the things of God, he took me into his closet; where, sitting together, he told me he had known that principle these ten years, and was glad that the Lord did now publish it abroad to the people. After a while there came a priest to visit him, with whom also I had some discourse concerning Truth. But his mouth was quickly stopped, for he was nothing but a notionist, and not in possession of what he talked of.

While I was here, there came a great woman of Beverley to speak to Justice Hotham about some business; and in discourse she told him, that the last Sabbath-day (as she called it) there came an angel or spirit into the church at Beverley, and spoke the wonderful things of God, to the astonishment of all that were there; and when it had done, it passed away, and they did not know whence it came, nor whither it went; but it astonished all, both priests, professors, and magistrates of the town. This relation Justice Hotham gave me afterwards, and then I gave him an account how I had been that day at Beverley steeple-house, and had declared truth to the priest and the people there. There were in the country thereabouts some noted priests and doctors, with whom Justice Hotham was acquainted. He would fain have them speak with me, and offered to send for them, under pretence of some business he had with them, but I wished him not to do so.

When the First-day of the week was come, Justice Hotham walked out with me into the field; and Captain Pursloe coming up after us, Justice Hotham left us and returned home, but Captain Pursloe went with me into the steeple-house. When the priest had done, I spoke both to priest and people; declared to them the word of life and truth, and directed them where they might find their teacher, the Lord Jesus Christ. Some were convinced, received the truth, and stand fast in it; and have a fine meeting to this day.

In the afternoon I went to another steeple-house about three miles off, where preached a great high-priest, called a doctor, one of them whom Justice Hotham would have sent for to speak with me. I went into the steeple-house, and stayed till the priest had done. The words which he took for his text were these, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat, yea come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” Then was I moved of the Lord to say unto him, “Come down, thou deceiver; dost thou bid people come freely, and take of the water of life freely, and yet thou takest three hundred pounds a-year of them, for preaching the Scriptures to them. Mayest thou not blush for shame? Did the prophet Isaiah, and Christ do so, who spoke the words, and gave them forth freely? Did not Christ say to his ministers, whom he sent to preach, ‘Freely ye have received, freely give?’” The priest, like a man amazed, hastened away. After he had left his flock, I had as much time as I could desire to speak to the people; and I directed them from the darkness to the light, and to the grace of God, that would teach them, and bring them salvation; to the Spirit of God in their inward parts, which would be a free teacher unto them.

Having cleared myself amongst the people, I returned to Justice Hotham’s house that night, who, when I came in, took me in his arms, and said his house was my house, for he was exceedingly glad at the work of the Lord, and that his power was revealed. Then he told me why he went not with me to the steeple-house in the morning, and what reasonings he had in himself about it; for he thought, if he had gone with me to the steeple-house, the officers would have put me to him; and then he should have been so put to it, that he should not have known what to do. But he was glad, he said, when Captain Pursloe came up to go with me; yet neither of them was dressed, nor had his band about his neck. It was a strange thing then to see a man come into a steeple-house without a band; yet Captain Pursloe went in with me without his band, the Lord’s power and truth had so affected him that he minded it not.

From hence I passed on through the country, and came at night to an inn where was a company of rude people. I bid the woman of the house, if she had any meat, to bring me some; but because I said Thee and Thou to her she looked strangely on me. Then I asked her if she had any milk; and she said, No. I was sensible she spoke falsely, and being willing to try her further, I asked her if she had any cream; she denied that she had any. Now there stood a churn in the room, and a little boy playing about it, put his hands into it, and pulled it down, and threw all the cream on the floor before my eyes. Thus was the woman manifested to be a liar. She was amazed, and blessed herself, and taking up the child, whipped it sorely; but I reproved her for her lying and deceit. After the Lord had thus discovered her deceit and perverseness, I walked out of the house, and went away till I came to a stack of hay, and lay in the hay-stack that night in rain and snow, it being but three days before the time called Christmas.

The next day I came into York, where were several people that were very tender. Upon the First-day of the week following, I was commanded of the Lord to go to the great minster, and speak to the priest Bowles and his hearers in their great cathedral. Accordingly I went: and when the priest had done, I told them I had something from the Lord God to speak to the priest and people. “Then say on quickly,” said a professor that was among them, for it was frost and snow, and very cold weather. Then I told them, This was the word of the Lord God unto them, that they lived in words; but God Almighty looked for fruits amongst them. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, they hurried me out, and threw me down the steps; but I got up again without hurt, and went to my lodgings. Several were convinced there: for the very groans that arose from the weight and oppression that was upon the Spirit of God in me, would open people, and strike them, and make them confess that the groans which broke forth through me did reach them: for my life was burthened with their profession without possession, and words without fruit. After I had done my present service in York, and several were convinced there, received the truth of God, and were turned to his teaching, I passed out of York, and looking towards Cleveland, I saw there was a people that had tasted of the power of God. I saw then there was a seed in that country, and that God had an humble people there.

Passing onwards that night, a Papist overtook me, and talked to me of his religion, and of their meetings; and I let him speak all that was in his mind. That night I stayed at an ale-house. The next morning I was moved of the Lord to speak the word of the Lord to this Papist. So I went to his house, and declared against his religion, and all their superstitious ways; and told him that God was come to teach his people himself. This put the Papist into such a rage, that he could not then endure to stay in his own house.

The next day I came to Burraby, where a priest and several friendly people met together. Many of the people were convinced, and have continued faithful ever since; and there is a great meeting of Friends in that town. The priest also was forced to confess to the truth, though he came not into it.

The day following I went into Cleveland, amongst those people that had tasted of the power of God. They had formerly had great meetings, but were then all shattered to pieces, and the heads of them turned Ranters. I told them that after they had had such meetings, they did not wait upon God to feel His power, to gather their minds inward, that they might feel His presence and power amongst them in their meetings, to sit down therein, and wait upon Him; for they had spoken themselves dry; they had spent their portions, and not living in that which they spoke of, they were now become dry. They had some kind of meetings still; but they took tobacco and drank ale in their meetings, and were grown light and loose. But my message unto them from the Lord was, That they should all come together again, and wait to feel the Lord’s power and Spirit in themselves, to gather them to Christ, that they might be taught of Him who says, “Learn of me.” For when they had declared that which the Lord had opened to them, then the people were to receive it; and both the speakers and hearers were to live in that themselves. But when these had no more to declare, but went to seek forms without life, that made themselves dry and barren, and the people also; and from thence came all their loss: for the Lord renews His mercies and His strength to them that wait upon Him. The heads of these people came to nothing: but most of them came to be convinced, and received God’s everlasting truth, and continue a meeting to this day, sitting under the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ their Saviour.