CHAPTER VI (7)

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 Caldbeck 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.[31] 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 into the steeple-houses, 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 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, came, and many contenders were there. The priests and magistrates were in a great rage against me in Westmorland, and had a warrant to apprehend 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 ever-living 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.” Then I 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.

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.