CHAPTER IX (3)

We came next day to Plymouth, and after having refreshed ourselves at our inn, we went to Robert Cary’s house, where we had a very precious meeting. At this meeting was one Elizabeth Trelawny, daughter to a baronet; she being somewhat dull of hearing came close to me, and placed her ear very near me while I spoke; and she was convinced. After the meeting some jangling Baptists came in, but the Lord’s power came over them, and Elizabeth Trelawney gave testimony thereto. A fine meeting was settled there in the Lord’s power, which has continued ever since; where many faithful Friends have been convinced.

From thence we passed into Cornwall, and came to an inn in the parish of Menheniot. At night we had a meeting at Edward Hancock’s house, to which came one Thomas Mounce, and a priest, with many people. We made the priest confess he was a minister made and maintained by the state; and he was confounded and went his way; but many of the people stayed. I directed them to the “light of Christ, by which they might see their sins, and their Saviour Christ Jesus, the way to God, and their Mediator to make peace between God and them; their Shepherd to feed them, and their Prophet to teach them. I directed them also to the Spirit of God in themselves, by which they might know the Scriptures, and be led into all truth; by which they might know God, and in it have unity one with another.” Many were convinced at that time, and came under Christ’s teaching, and there are fine gatherings in the name of Jesus in those parts at this day.

We travelled thence through Penryn to Helston; but could not obtain knowledge of any sober people, through the badness of the innkeepers. At length we came to a village where some Baptists and sober people lived, with whom we had some discourse; and some of them were brought to confess, that they stumbled at the light of Christ. They would have had us to stay with them, but we passed thence to Market-Jew (Marazion); and having taken up our lodging at an inn, we went out over-night to inquire for such as feared the Lord. Next morning the mayor and aldermen gathered together, with the high-sheriff of the county; and they sent first the constables to bid us come before them. We asked them for their warrant, and they saying they had none, we told them we should not go along with them without. Upon the return of the constables without us, they sent their serjeants, and we asked them for their warrant. They said, they had none; but they told us, the mayor and aldermen stayed for us. We told them, the mayor and his company did not well to trouble us in our inn, and we should not go with them without a warrant. So they went away and came again; and when we asked them for their warrant, one of them pulled his mace from under his cloak; we asked them whether this was their custom to molest and trouble strangers in their inns and lodgings? After some time Edward Pyot went to the mayor and aldermen, and had much discourse with them; but the Lord’s power gave him dominion over them all. When he had returned, several of the officers came to us, and we laid before them the incivility and unworthiness of their conduct towards us, who were the servants of the Lord God, thus to stop and trouble us in our lodgings; and what an unchristian act it was. Before we left the town I wrote a paper, to be sent to the seven parishes at the Land’s End. A copy of which follows:—

“The mighty day of the Lord is come, and coming, wherein all hearts shall be made manifest, and the secrets of everyone’s heart shall be revealed by the light of Jesus, who lighteth every man that cometh into the world, that all men through him might believe, and that the world might have life through him, who saith, ‘Learn of me,’ and of whom God saith, ‘This is my beloved Son, hear ye him.’ Christ is come to teach his people himself; and everyone that will not hear this Prophet, which God hath raised up, and which Moses spoke of, when he said, ‘Like unto me will God raise you up a Prophet, him shall you hear;’ every one (I say) that will not hear this Prophet, is to be cut off. They that despised Moses’s law, died under the hand of two or three witnesses; but how much greater punishment will come upon them that neglect this great salvation, Christ Jesus, who saith, ‘Learn of me: I am the way, the truth, and the life;’ who lighteth every man that cometh into the world: and by His light lets him see his evil ways and his evil deeds. But if you hate this light, and go on in evil, this light will be your condemnation. Therefore, now ye have time, prize it; for this is the day of your visitation, and salvation offered to you. Every one of you hath a light from Christ, which lets you see you should not lie, nor do wrong to any, nor swear, nor curse, nor take God’s name in vain, nor steal. It is the light that shows you these evil deeds; which if you love, and come unto it and follow it, will lead you to Christ, who is the way to the Father, from whom it comes; where no unrighteousness enters, nor ungodliness. If you hate this light, it will be your condemnation; but if you love it and come to it, you will come to Christ; and it will bring you off from all the world’s teachers and ways, to learn of Christ, and will preserve you from the evils of the world, and all the deceivers in it.”

This paper a Friend who was then with me had; and when we were gone three or four miles from Market-Jew towards the west, he meeting with a man upon the road, gave him a copy of the paper. This man proved to be a servant to one Peter Ceely, major in the army, and a justice of peace in that county; and he riding before us to a place called St. Ives, showed the paper to his master, Major Ceely. When we came to IVES, Edward Pyot’s horse having cast a shoe, we stayed to have it set; and while he was getting his horse shod, I walked down to the sea-side. When I returned I found the town in an uproar; and they were hailing Edward Pyot and the other Friend before Major Ceely. I followed them into the justice’s house, though they did not lay hands upon me. When we came in, the house was full of rude people; whereupon I asked whether there were not an officer among them to keep the people civil? Major Ceely said, he was a magistrate. I told him, “he should show forth gravity and sobriety then, and use his authority to keep the people civil; for I never saw any people ruder: the Indians were more like Christians than they.” After a while they brought forth the paper aforesaid, and asked whether I would own it? I said, yes. Then he tendered the oath of abjuration to us; whereupon I put my hand in my pocket and drew forth the answer to it, which had been given to the Protector. After I had given him that, he examined us severally, one by one. He had with him a silly, young priest, who asked us many frivolous questions; and amongst the rest he desired to cut my hair, which then was pretty long; but I was not to cut it though many times many were offended at it. I told them, “I had no pride in it, and it was not of my own putting on.” At length the justice put us under a guard of soldiers, who were hard and wild, like the justice himself; nevertheless “we warned the people of the day of the Lord, and declared the truth to them.” The next day he sent us, guarded by a party of horse with swords and pistols, to Redruth.

On First-day the soldiers would have taken us away; but we told them it was their Sabbath, and it was not usual to travel on that day. Several of the town’s-people gathered about us, and whilst I held the soldiers in discourse, Edward Pyot spoke to the people; and afterwards he held the soldiers in discourse whilst I spoke to the people; and in the mean time the other Friend got out the back way, and went to the steeple-house to speak to the priest and people. The people were exceedingly desperate, in a mighty rage against him, and abused him. The soldiers also missing him, were in a great rage, ready to kill us; but I declared the day of the Lord, and the word of eternal life to the people that gathered about us. In the afternoon the soldiers were resolved to have us away, so we took horse. When we were got to the town’s-end, I was moved of the Lord to go back again, to speak to the old man of the house; the soldiers drew out their pistols, and swore I should not go back. I heeded them not, but rode back, and they rode after me. I cleared myself to the old man and the people, and then returned with them, and reproved them for being so rude and violent.

At night we were brought to a town called Smethick then, but since Falmouth. It being the evening of the First-day, there came to our inn the chief constable of the place, and many sober people, some of whom began to inquire concerning us. We told them we were prisoners for truth’s sake; and much discourse we had with them concerning the things of God. They were very sober and loving to us. Some were convinced and stood faithful ever after.

After the constable and these people were gone, other people came in, who were also very civil, and went away very loving. When all were gone we went to our chamber to go to bed, and about eleven o’clock Edward Pyot said, “I will shut the door, it may be some may come to do us some mischief.” Afterwards we understood that Captain Keat, who commanded the party, had purposed to do us some mischief that night; but the door being bolted he missed his design. Next morning Captain Keat brought a kinsman of his, a rude, wicked man, and put him into the room, he himself standing without. The evil-minded man walking huffing up and down the room, I bid him fear the Lord; whereupon he ran upon me, struck me with both his hands; and placing his leg behind me, would have fain thrown me down, but he could not for I stood stiff and still, and let him strike. As I looked towards the door, I saw Captain Keat look on and see his kinsman thus beat and abuse me. Whereupon I said, “Keat, dost thou allow this?” and he said, he did; “Is this manly or civil,” said I, “to have us under a guard and put a man to abuse and beat us? is this manly, civil, or christian?” I desired one of our friends to send for the constables, and they came. Then I desired the captain to let the constables see his warrant or order, by which he was to carry us; which he did; and his warrant was to conduct us safe to Captain Fox, governor of Pendennis Castle; and if the governor should not be at home, he was to convey us to Launceston jail. I told him, he had broken his order concerning us; for we, who were his prisoners, were to be safely conducted, but he had brought a man to beat and abuse us; so he having broken his order, I wished the constable to keep the warrant. Accordingly he did, and told the soldiers they might go, for he would take charge of the prisoners; and if it cost twenty shillings in charges to carry us up, they should not have the warrant again. I showed the soldiers the baseness of their carriage towards us; and they walked up and down the house, being pitifully blank and down. The constables went to the castle, and told the officers what they had done. The officers showed great dislike of Captain Keat’s base carriage towards us; and told the constables that Major-General Desborough was coming to Bodmin, and that we should meet him; and it was likely he would free us. Meanwhile our old guard of soldiers came by way of entreaty to us, and promised that they would be civil to us, if we would go with them. Thus the morning was spent till it was about eleven o’clock; and then upon the soldiers’ entreaty, and promise to be more civil, the constables gave them the order again, and we went with them. Great was the civility and courtesy of the constables and people of that town towards us, who kindly entertained us; and the Lord rewarded them with his truth; for many of them have since been convinced thereof, and are gathered into the name of Jesus, and sit under Christ, their teacher and Saviour.