CHAPTER IX (4)

Captain Keat, who commanded our guard, understanding that Captain Fox, who was the governor of Pendennis Castle, was gone to meet Major-General Desborough, did not take us thither; but went with us directly to Bodmin. We met Major-General Desborough on the way; the captain of his troop that rode before him, knew me, and said, “O, Mr. Fox, what do you here?” I replied, “I am a prisoner.” “Alack,” said he, “for what?” I told him, “I was taken up as I was travelling.” “Then,” said he, “I will speak to my lord, and he will set you at liberty.” So he came from the head of his troop, rode up to the coach, and spoke to the major-general. We also told him how we were taken. He began to speak against the light of Christ, for which I reproved him; then he told the soldiers they might carry us to Launceston; for he could not stay to talk with us, lest his horses should take cold.

So to Bodmin we were conveyed that night; and when we were come to our inn, Captain Keat, who was in before us, put me into a room, and went his way. When I was come in, there stood a man with a naked rapier in his hand. Whereupon I turned out again, called for Captain Keat, and said unto him, “What now, Keat, what trick hast thou played now, to put me into a room where there is a man with his naked rapier? what is thy end in this?” “O,” said he, “pray hold your tongue; for if you speak to this man, we cannot all rule him, he is so devilish.” “Then,” said I, “dost thou put me into a room where there is such a man with a naked rapier, that thou sayest you cannot rule him? what an unworthy, base trick is this! and to put me singly into this room from the rest of my friends, that were my fellow prisoners with me!” Thus his plot was discovered, and the mischief they intended was prevented. Afterwards we got another room, where we were together all night; and in the evening we declared the truth to the people; but they were hardened and dark people. The soldiers also, notwithstanding their fair promises, were very rude and wicked to us again, and sat up drinking and roaring all night.

Next day we were brought to Launceston, where Captain Keat delivered us to the jailer. Now was there no friend, nor friendly people near us; and the people of the town were dark and hardened. The jailer required us to pay seven shillings a-week for our horse-meat, and seven for our diet a piece. But after some time several sober people came to see us, and some of the town were convinced; and many friendly people out of several parts of the country, came to visit us, and were convinced. Then arose a great rage among the professors and priests against us; and they said, this people Thou and Thee all men without respect, and they will not put off their hats, nor bow the knee to any man: this made them fret. But, said they, we shall see, when the assize comes, whether they will dare to Thou and Thee the judge, and keep on their hats before him. They expected we should be hanged at the assize. But all this was little to us; for we saw how God would stain the world’s honour and glory, and were commanded not to seek that honour, nor give it; but we knew the honour that comes from God only, and sought that.

It was nine weeks from the time of our commitment to the assizes, to which abundance of people came from far and near to hear the trial of the Quakers. Captain Bradden lay with his troop of horse there, whose soldiers and the sheriff’s men guarded us up to the court through the multitude of people that filled the streets; and much ado they had to get us through them. Besides, the doors and windows were filled with people looking out upon us. When we were brought into the court, we stood some time with our hats on, and all was quiet; and I was moved to say, “Peace be amongst you!” Judge Glynne, a Welchman, then chief justice of England, said to the jailer, “what be these you have brought here into the court?” “Prisoners, my Lord,” said he. “Why do you not put off your hats?” said the judge to us: we said nothing. “Put off your hats,” said the judge again. Still we said nothing. Then said the judge, “The court commands you to put off your hats.” Then I spoke, and said, “Where did ever any magistrate, king, or judge, from Moses to Daniel, command any to put off their hats, when they came before them in their courts, either amongst the Jews, the people of God, or amongst the heathens? and if the law of England doth command any such thing, show me that law either written or printed.” Then the judge grew very angry, and said, “I do not carry my law-books on my back.” “But,” said I, “tell me where it is printed in any statute-book, that I may read it.” Then said the judge, “Take him away, prevaricator! I’ll jerk him.” So they took us away, and put us among the thieves. Presently after he calls to the jailer, “Bring them up again.” “Come,” said he, “where had they hats from Moses to Daniel; come, answer me: I have you fast now,” said he. I replied, “Thou mayest read in the third of Daniel, that the three children were cast into the fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar’s command, with their coats, their hose, and their hats on.” This plain instance stopped him: so that not having any thing else to say to the point, he cried again, “Take them away, jailer.” Accordingly we were taken away, and thrust in among the thieves, where we were kept a great while; and then, without being called again, the sheriff’s men and the troopers made way for us (but we were almost spent) to get through the crowd of people, and guarded us to the prison again, a multitude of people following us, with whom we had much discourse and reasoning at the jail. We had some good books to set forth our principles, and to inform people of the truth: which the judge and justices hearing of, they sent Captain Bradden for them, who came into the jail to us, and violently took our books from us, some out of Edward Pyot’s hands, and carried them away; so we never got them again.

In the afternoon we were had up again into the court by the jailer and sheriff’s men, and troopers, who had a mighty toil to get us through the crowd of people. When we were in the court, waiting to be called, I seeing both the jurymen, and such a multitude of others swearing, it grieved my life, that such as professed Christianity should so openly disobey and break the command of Christ and the apostle. And I was moved of the Lord to give forth a paper against swearing, which I had about me, to the grand and petty juries; which was as follows:—

“Take heed of giving people oaths to swear: for Christ our Lord and Master saith, ‘Swear not at all; but let your communications be yea yea, and nay nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.’ If any man was to suffer death, it must be by the hand of two or three witnesses; and the hands of the witnesses were to be first put upon him, to put him to death. And the apostle James saith, ‘My brethren, above all things swear not, neither by heaven, nor by earth, nor by any other oath, lest ye fall into condemnation.’ Hence you may see, those that swear fall into condemnation, and are out of Christ’s and the apostle’s doctrine. Therefore, every one of you having a light from Christ, who saith, ‘I am the light of the world,’ and doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world; who also saith, ‘Learn of me,’ whose doctrine is, not to swear; and the apostle’s doctrine is, not to swear; ‘let your yea be yea, and your nay be nay, in all your communications; for whatsoever is more, cometh of evil.’ Then, they that go into more than yea and nay, go into evil, and are out of the doctrine of Christ.

“Now, if you say, ‘that the oath was the end of controversy and strife,’ they who are in strife, are out of Christ’s doctrine; for he is the covenant of peace: and they who are in it, are in the covenant of peace. And the apostle brings that but as an example: as, men swearing by the greater; and the oath was the end of controversy and strife among men; and said, verily, men swear by the greater: but God could not find a greater, but swears by himself, concerning Christ; who, when he was come, taught not to swear at all. So such as are in him, and follow him, cannot but abide in his doctrine.

“If you say, ‘they swore under the law, and under the prophets,’ Christ is the end of the law, and of the prophets, to every one that believeth for righteousness’ sake. Now mark; if you believe, ‘I am the light of the world, which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world,’ saith Christ, by whom it was made; and every man of you that is come into the world is enlightened with a light that comes from Christ, by whom the world was made, that all of you through him might believe; that is the end for which he doth enlighten you. Now if you do believe in the light, as Christ commands, and saith, ‘believe in the light, that you may be children of light,’ you believe in Christ, and come to learn of him who is the way to the Father. This is the light which shows the evil actions you have all acted, the ungodly deeds you have committed, and all the ungodly speeches you have spoken; and all your oaths, cursed speaking, and ungodly actions. Now if you attend to this light, it will let you see all that you have done contrary to it; and loving it, it will turn you from your evil deeds, evil actions, evil ways, evil words, to Christ, who is not of the world; who is the light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world;—who testifies against the world, that the deeds thereof are evil. So doth the light in every man, that he hath received from him, testify against his works and deeds that are evil, that they are contrary to the light; and each shall give an account at the day of judgment for every idle word that is spoken. This light shall bring every tongue to confess, yea, and every knee to bow at the name of Jesus; in which light, if you believe, you shall not come into condemnation, but come to Christ, who is not of the world;—to him by whom it was made; but if you believe not in the light, this, the light, is your condemnation, saith Christ.”

This paper passing among them from the jury to the justices, they presented it to the judge; so that when we were called before the judge, he bade the clerk give me that paper; and then asked me, “whether that seditious paper was mine;” I told him, “If they would read it up in open court, that I might hear it, if it was mine I would own it, and stand by it.” He would have had me to take it, and look upon it in my own hand; but “I again desired that it might be read, that all the country might hear it, and judge whether there was any sedition in it or not; for if there were I was willing to suffer for it.” At last the clerk of the assize read it with an audible voice, that all the people might hear it: and when he had done, I told them, “it was my paper; I would own it; and so might they too, except they would deny the Scripture: for was not this Scripture language, and the words and commands of Christ, and the apostle, which all true Christians ought to obey?” Then they let fall that subject; and the judge fell upon us about our hats again, bidding the jailer take them off, which he did, and gave them to us; and we put them on again. Then we asked the judge and the justices, what we had lain in prison for these nine weeks, seeing they now objected nothing to us but about our hats; and as for putting off our hats, I told them, that was the honour which God would lay in the dust, though they made so much to do about it; the honour which is of men, and which men seek one of another, and is the mark of unbelievers. For “how can ye believe,” saith Christ, “who receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?” and Christ saith, “I receive not honour from men;” and all true Christians should be of his mind.