In Prison Again
1653.
About the beginning of the year 1653 I returned to Swarthmore, and
going to a meeting at Gleaston, a professor challenged to dispute
with me. I went to the house where he was, and called him to come
forth; but the Lord's power was over him, so that he durst not meddle.
I departed thence, visited the meetings of Friends in Lancashire, and
came back to Swarthmore. Great openings I had from the Lord, not only
of divine and spiritual matters, but also of outward things relating
to the civil government.
Being one day in Swarthmore Hall, when Judge Fell and Justice Benson
were talking of the news, and of the Parliament then sitting (called
the Long Parliament), I was moved to tell them that before that day
two weeks the Parliament should be broken up, and the Speaker plucked
out of his chair. That day two weeks Justice Benson told Judge Fell
that now he saw George was a true prophet; for Oliver had broken up
the Parliament.[60]
[60] Cromwell ejected the "Rump" Parliament April 20th, 1653.
There is no contemporary authentification of this prophecy, but
there is no reason to doubt the correctness of this account.
Such cases of specific fore-seeing have been common throughout
the entire history of Friends. They have received some
slight investigation by the London branch of the Society for
Psychical Research, though they have never received the careful
investigation which they deserve.
About this time I was in a fast for about ten days, my spirit being
greatly exercised on Truth's behalf: for James Milner and Richard
Myer went out into imaginations, and a company followed them. This
James Milner and some of his company had true openings at the first;
but getting up into pride and exaltation of spirit, they ran out from
Truth. I was sent for to them, and was moved of the Lord to go and
show them their outgoings. They were brought to see their folly, and
condemned it; and came into the way of Truth again.
After some time I went to a meeting at Arnside, where was Richard
Myer, who had been long lame of one of his arms. I was moved of the
Lord to say unto him amongst all the people, "Stand up upon thy
legs," for he was sitting down. And he stood up, and stretched out
his arm that had been lame a long time, and said, "Be it known unto
you, all people, that this day I am healed."[61] Yet his parents
could hardly believe it; but after the meeting was done, they had him
aside, took off his doublet, and then saw it was true.
[61] This case of healing belongs in the inexhaustible list of
cases of healing by faith. There are many forms of mental healing
and of faith healing, and the researches of modern psychology
have given us a principle of explanation for all cures of this
sort. All such remarkable events seemed to George Fox to partake
of the miraculous and most naturally gave him the impression that
he was a peculiarly-chosen instrument of the Lord.
He came soon after to Swarthmore meeting, and there declared how the
Lord had healed him. Yet after this the Lord commanded him to go to
York with a message from Him, which he disobeyed; and the Lord struck
him again, so that he died about three-quarters of a year after.
Now were great threatenings given forth in Cumberland that if ever I
came there they would take away my life. When I heard it I was drawn
to go into Cumberland; and went to Miles Wennington's, in the same
parish from which those threatenings came: but they had not power to
touch me.
On a First-day I went into the steeple-house at Bootle;[X] and when
the priest had done, I began to speak. But the people were exceeding
rude, and struck and beat me in the yard; one gave me a very great
blow over my wrist, so that the people thought he had broken my hand
to pieces. The constable was very desirous to keep the peace, and
would have set some of them that struck me by the heels, if I would
have given way to it. After my service amongst them was over, I went
to Joseph Nicholson's house, and the constable went a little way with
us, to keep off the rude multitude.
[X] In Cumberland.
In the afternoon I went again. The priest had got to help him
another priest, that came from London, and was highly accounted
of. Before I went into the steeple-house, I sat a little upon the
cross, and Friends with me; but the Friends were moved to go into the
steeple-house, and I went in after them.
The London priest was preaching. He gathered up all the Scriptures
he could think of that spoke of false prophets, and antichrists, and
deceivers, and threw them upon us; but when he had done I recollected
all those Scriptures, and brought them back upon himself. Then the
people fell upon me in a rude manner; but the constable charged them
to keep the peace, and so made them quiet again. Then the priest
began to rage, and said I must not speak there. I told him he had his
hour-glass, by which he had preached; and he having done, the time
was free for me, as well as for him, for he was but a stranger there
himself.[62]
[62] This passage throws interesting light on the church customs
of the time. After the minister has preached his hour by the hour
glass there is then liberty for any one to speak. George Fox
himself evidently did not observe the hour glass.
So I opened the Scriptures to them, and let them see that those
Scriptures that spoke of the false prophets, and antichrists, and
deceivers, described them and their generation; and belonged to
them who were found walking in their steps, and bringing forth
their fruits; and not unto us, who were not guilty of such things.
I manifested to them that they were out of the steps of the true
prophets and apostles; and showed them clearly, by the fruits and
marks, that it was they of whom those Scriptures spoke, and not we.
And I declared the Truth, and the Word of life to the people; and
directed them to Christ their teacher.
When I came down again to Joseph Nicholson's house, I saw a great
hole in my coat, which was cut with a knife; but it was not cut
through my doublet, for the Lord had prevented their mischief. The
next day there was a rude, wicked man who would have done violence to
a Friend, but the Lord's power stopped him.
Now was I moved to send James Lancaster to appoint a meeting at the
steeple-house of John Wilkinson, near Cockermouth,--a preacher in
great repute, who had three parishes under him. I stayed at Milholm,
in Bootle, till James Lancaster came back again. In the meantime
some of the gentry of the country had formed a plot against me, and
had given a little boy a rapier, with which to do me mischief. They
came with the boy to Joseph Nicholson's to seek me; but the Lord had
so ordered it that I was gone into the fields. They met with James
Lancaster, but did not much abuse him; and not finding me in the
house, they went away again. So I walked up and down in the fields
that night, as very often I used to do, and did not go to bed.
We came the next day to the steeple-house where James Lancaster had
appointed the meeting. There were at this meeting twelve soldiers and
their wives, from Carlisle; and the country people came in, as if it
were to a fair. I lay at a house somewhat short of the place, so
that many Friends got thither before me. When I came I found James
Lancaster speaking under a yew tree which was so full of people that
I feared they would break it down.
I looked about for a place to stand upon, to speak unto the people,
for they lay all up and down, like people at a leaguer.[Y] After I
was discovered, a professor asked if I would not go into the church?
I, seeing no place abroad convenient to speak to the people from,
told him, Yes; whereupon the people rushed in, so that when I came
the house and pulpit were so full I had much ado to get in. Those
that could not get in stood abroad about the walls.
[Y] This indicates that he had seen besieging armies during the
Civil War.
When the people were settled I stood up on a seat, and the Lord
opened my mouth to declare His everlasting Truth and His everlasting
day. When I had largely declared the Word of life unto them for about
the space of three hours, I walked forth amongst the people, who
passed away well satisfied. Among the rest a professor followed me,
praising and commending me; but his words were like a thistle to me.
Many hundreds were convinced that day, and received the Lord Jesus
Christ and His free teaching, with gladness; of whom some have died
in the Truth, and many stand faithful witnesses thereof. The soldiers
also were convinced, and their wives.
After this I went to a village, and many people accompanied me. As
I was sitting in a house full of people, declaring the Word of life
unto them, I cast mine eye upon a woman, and discerned an unclean
spirit in her. And I was moved of the Lord to speak sharply to her,
and told her she was under the influence of an unclean spirit;[63]
whereupon she went out of the room. Now, I being a stranger there,
and knowing nothing of the woman outwardly, the people wondered at
it, and told me afterwards that I had discovered a great thing; for
all the country looked upon her to be a wicked person.
[63] It must be remembered that Fox uses here the language and
the popular ideas of the time, as we should expect him to do.
The Lord had given me a spirit of discerning, by which I many times
saw the states and conditions of people, and could try their spirits.
For not long before, as I was going to a meeting, I saw some women in
a field, and I discerned an evil spirit in them; and I was moved to
go out of my way into the field to them, and declare unto them their
conditions. At another time there came one into Swarthmore Hall in
the meeting time, and I was moved to speak sharply to her, and told
her she was under the power of an evil spirit; and the people said
afterwards she was generally accounted so. There came also at another
time another woman, and stood at a distance from me, and I cast mine
eye upon her, and said, "Thou hast been an harlot"; for I perfectly
saw the condition and life of the woman. The woman answered and said
that many could tell her of her outward sins, but none could tell her
of her inward. Then I told her her heart was not right before the
Lord, and that from the inward came the outward. This woman came
afterwards to be convinced of God's truth, and became a Friend.
Thence we travelled to Carlisle. The pastor of the Baptists, with
most of his hearers, came to the abbey, where I had a meeting; and
I declared the Word of life amongst them. Many of the Baptists and
of the soldiers were convinced. After the meeting the pastor of the
Baptists, an high notionist and a flashy man, asked me what must be
damned. I was moved immediately to tell him that that which spoke
in him was to be damned. This stopped his mouth; and the witness of
God was raised up in him. I opened to him the states of election and
reprobation; so that he said he never heard the like in his life. He
came afterwards to be convinced.
Then I went to the castle among the soldiers, who beat a drum and
called the garrison together. I preached the Truth amongst them,
directing them to the Lord Jesus Christ to be their teacher, and
to the measure of His Spirit in themselves, by which they might be
turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God.
I warned them all that they should do no violence to any man, but
should show forth a Christian life: telling them that He who was to
be their Teacher would be their condemner if they were disobedient to
Him. So I left them, having no opposition from any of them, except
the sergeants, who afterwards came to be convinced.
On the market-day I went up into the market, to the market-cross.
The magistrates had both threatened, and sent their sergeants; and
the magistrates' wives had said that if I came there they would
pluck the hair off my head; and the sergeants should take me up.
Nevertheless I obeyed the Lord God, went up on the cross, and
declared unto them that the day of the Lord was coming upon all their
deceitful ways and doings, and deceitful merchandise; that they
should put away all cozening and cheating, and keep to Yea and Nay,
and speak the truth one to another. So the Truth and the power of God
was set over them.
After I had declared the Word of life to the people, the throng being
so great that the sergeants could not reach me, nor the magistrates'
wives come at me, I passed away quietly. Many people and soldiers
came to me, and some Baptists, that were bitter contenders; amongst
whom one of their deacons, an envious man, finding that the Lord's
power was over them, cried out for very anger. Whereupon I set my
eyes upon him, and spoke sharply to him in the power of the Lord:
and he cried, "Do not pierce me so with thy eyes; keep thy eyes off
me."[64]
[64] This is an interesting testimony to the power of George
Fox's eyes. The same remark is made on several occasions during
his life. This power of the eye undoubtedly was a considerable
element in his commanding influence over others.
The First-day following I went into the steeple-house: and after the
priest had done, I preached the Truth to the people, and declared the
Word of life amongst them. The priest got away; and the magistrates
desired me to go out of the steeple-house. But I still declared the
way of the Lord unto them, and told them I came to speak the Word of
life and salvation from the Lord amongst them. The power of the Lord
was dreadful amongst them, so that the people trembled and shook, and
they thought the steeple-house shook; some of them feared it would
have fallen down on their heads. The magistrates' wives were in a
rage, and strove mightily to get at me: but the soldiers and friendly
people stood thick about me.
At length the rude people of the city rose, and came with staves and
stones into the steeple-house, crying, "Down with these round-headed
rogues"; and they threw stones. Whereupon the governor sent a file or
two of musketeers into the steeple-house to appease the tumult, and
commanded all the other soldiers out. So those soldiers took me by
the hand in a friendly manner, and said they would have me along with
them.
When we came into the street the city was in an uproar. The governor
came down; and some of the soldiers were put in prison for standing
by me against the townspeople.
A lieutenant, who had been convinced, came and brought me to his
house, where there was a Baptist meeting, and thither came Friends
also. We had a very quiet meeting; they heard the Word of life
gladly, and many received it.
The next day, the justices and magistrates of the town being
gathered together in the town-hall, they granted a warrant against
me, and sent for me before them. I was then gone to a Baptist's;
but hearing of it, I went up to the hall, where many rude people
were, some of whom had sworn false things against me. I had a great
deal of discourse with the magistrates, wherein I laid open the
fruits of their priests' preaching, showed them how they were void
of Christianity, and that, though they were such great professors
(for they were Independents and Presbyterians) they were without the
possession of that which they professed. After a large examination,
they committed me to prison as a blasphemer, a heretic, and a
seducer,[65] though they could not justly charge any such thing
against me.
[65] As in Derby, the charge is blasphemy, under the Act of 1648.
The report, spoken of later, that he would be put to death, was
not mere rumor, for it was a real possibility under this Act.
The jail at Carlisle had two jailers, an upper and an under, who
looked like two great bear-wards. When I was brought in the upper
jailer took me up into a great chamber, and told me I should have
what I would in that room. But I told him he should not expect any
money from me, for I would neither lie in any of his beds, nor eat
any of his victuals. Then he put me into another room, where after
awhile I got something to lie upon.
There I lay till the assizes came, and then all the talk was that I
was to be hanged. The high sheriff, Wilfred Lawson, stirred them much
up to take away my life, and said he would guard me to my execution
himself. They were in a rage, and set three musketeers for guard upon
me, one at my chamber-door, another at the stairs-foot, and a third
at the street-door; and they would let none come at me, except one
sometimes, to bring me some necessary things.
At night, sometimes as late as the tenth hour, they would bring up
priests to me, who were exceeding rude and devilish. There were a
company of bitter Scotch priests, Presbyterians, made up of envy and
malice, who were not fit to speak of the things of God, they were so
foul-mouthed. But the Lord, by His power, gave me dominion over them
all, and I let them see both their fruits and their spirits. Great
ladies also (as they were called) came to see the man that they said
was to die. While the judge, justices, and sheriff were contriving
together how they might put me to death, the Lord disappointed their
design by an unexpected way.[66]
[66] Justice Anthony Pearson pointed out to the judges of the
Carlisle courts that there was no evidence to support the charges
against the prisoner, and that he was illegally held. He was
finally dismissed without formal trial. The release of Fox was,
however, hastened by an urgent letter from Parliament (the famous
Barebones Parliament), requesting that he be set free.
The next day, after the judges were gone out of town, an order
was sent to the jailer to put me down into the prison amongst the
moss-troopers,[Z] thieves, and murderers; which accordingly he did.
A filthy, nasty place it was, where men and women were put together
in a very uncivil manner, and never a house of office to it; and the
prisoners were so lousy that one woman was almost eaten to death with
lice. Yet bad as the place was, the prisoners were all made very
loving and subject to me, and some of them were convinced of the
Truth, as the publicans and harlots were of old; so that they were
able to confound any priest that might come to the grates to dispute.
[Z] A kind of freebooter.
But the jailer was cruel, and the under-jailer very abusive both to
me and to Friends that came to see me; for he would beat with a great
cudgel Friends who did but come to the window to look in upon me.
I could get up to the grate, where sometimes I took in my meat; at
which the jailer was often offended. Once he came in a great rage and
beat me with his cudgel, though I was not at the grate at that time;
and as he beat me, he cried, "Come out of the window," though I was
then far from it. While he struck me, I was moved in the Lord's power
to sing, which made him rage the more. Then he fetched a fiddler,
and set him to play, thinking to vex me. But while he played, I was
moved in the everlasting power of the Lord God to sing; and my voice
drowned the noise of the fiddle, struck and confounded them, and made
them give over fiddling and go their way.
Whilst I was in prison at Carlisle, James Parnell, a little lad
about sixteen years of age, came to see me, and was convinced. The
Lord quickly made him a powerful minister of the Word of life, and
many were turned to Christ by him, though he lived not long. For,
travelling into Essex in the work of the ministry, in the year 1655,
he was committed to Colchester castle, where he endured very great
hardships and sufferings. He was put by the cruel jailer into a hole
in the castle wall, called the oven, so high from the ground that
he went up to it by a ladder, which being six feet too short, he
was obliged to climb from the ladder to the hole by a rope that was
fastened above. When Friends would have given him a cord and a basket
in which to draw up his victuals, the inhuman jailer would not suffer
them, but forced him to go down and up by that short ladder and rope
to fetch his victuals, which for a long time he did, or else he might
have famished in the hole.
At length his limbs became much benumbed with lying in that place;
yet being still obliged to go down to take up some victuals, as he
came up the ladder again with his victuals in one hand, and caught
at the rope with the other, he missed the rope, and fell down from a
very great height upon the stones; by which fall he was so wounded in
the head, arms, and body, that he died a short time after.[67]
[67] This is one of the saddest stories in the annals of Quaker
martyrology. James Parnell was well trained mentally, and held
successful discussions with the Cambridge students. The dungeon
in Colchester Castle, where this brief holy life came to an end,
is still visited by tourists.
While I thus lay in the dungeon at Carlisle, the report raised at the
time of the assize that I should be put to death was gone far and
near; insomuch that the Parliament then sitting, which, I think, was
called the Little Parliament, hearing that a young man at Carlisle
was to die for religion, caused a letter to be sent the sheriff and
magistrates concerning me.
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 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.
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.
The priests and magistrates were in a great rage against me in
Westmoreland, 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 pitchforks;
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 Derwentwater, 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 these I declared that Adam and Eve were perfect
before they fell; that all that God made was perfect; that the
imperfection came by the devil, and the fall; but that Christ, who
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 that 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 again
into the image of God by Christ Jesus, in which they were before they
fell. So they ceased at that time from opposing further; and glorious
meetings we had in the Lord's power.
Then passed we to Hexam, where we had a great meeting on top of a
hill. The priest threatened that he would come and oppose us, but
he came not; so all was quiet. And the everlasting day and renowned
Truth of the everliving 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.
It was further declared that he who had the Son of God, had life
eternal; but he that had not the Son of God, though he professed
all the Scriptures from the first of Genesis to the last of the
Revelation, had no life.
So after all were directed to the light of Christ, by which they
might see Him, receive Him, and know where their true teacher was,
and the everlasting Truth had been largely declared amongst them, we
passed through Hexam peaceably, and came into Gilsland, a country
noted for thieving.
The next day we came into Cumberland again, where we had a general
meeting of thousands of people on top of an 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,[AA] the multitude was so great. Their eyes were turned to
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.
[AA] That is, reach with the voice.
A great convincement there was in Cumberland, Bishoprick,
Northumberland, Westmoreland, Lancashire, and Yorkshire; and the
plants of God grew and flourished, the heavenly rain descending, and
God's glory shining upon them. Many mouths were opened by the Lord to
His praise; yea, to babes and sucklings he ordained strength.