G. Fox, who coming with priest Boyes into a town to bait, and hearing the bells ring, asked what that was for. They told him, that it was for him to preach in the steeple-house. Walking thither, he saw the people were gathered together in the steeple-house yard. The priest who accompanied him, would have had him to go into the steeple-house; but he said, it was no matter. This seemed strange to the people, that he would not go into that which they called the house of God. But he stood up in the steeple-house yard, and declared to them, that he came not to hold up their idol temples, nor their priests, nor their tithes, nor their Jewish and heathenish ceremonies; that the ground on which their temples stood, was no more holy than any other piece of ground; that the apostles, going into the Jews synagogues, and temples, was to bring people off from that temple, &c. and from the offerings and tithes, and covetous priests of that time; that such who came to be converted, and believed in Christ, afterwards met together in dwelling-houses; and that all who preach Christ, the word of life, ought to preach freely, as the apostles did, and as Christ had commanded; and that the Lord God of heaven and earth had sent him to preach freely, and to bring people off from the outward temples made with hands, in which God dwelleth not; that so they might know their bodies were to become the temples of God and Christ. Moreover, that they ought to leave all their superstitious ceremonies, traditions, and doctrines of men; and not regard such teachers of the world, that took tithes, and great wages, preaching for hire, and divining for money; whom God and Christ never sent, according to their own confession, when they say, they never heard God’s voice. That therefore people ought to come to the Spirit and grace of God in themselves, and to the light of Jesus in their own hearts: that so they might come to know Christ their free teacher, to bring them salvation, and to open the Scriptures to them. This speech had such effect, that many of them declared they were convinced of the truth.
From this place he went to another town, and priest Boyes went along with him. Thither came several professors, but he sat silent for some hours; which made them often ask the priest, ‘When will he begin? When will he speak?’ To which the priest said, ‘Wait:’ and told them that the people waited upon Christ a long while before he spake: now, though G. Fox by silence was to famish people from words, yet at length he felt himself moved to speak, which he did so effectually, that many were reached, and there was a general convincement amongst them.
From hence he passed on, the priest continuing to go with him, as did several others; and as they went along, some people called to the priest, and said, ‘Mr. Boyes, we owe you some money for tithes, pray come and take it.’ But he throwing up his hand, said, he had enough, and would have none of it; they might keep it; and he praised the Lord he had enough. At length they came into this priest’s steeple-house in the moors; and the priest going before, held open the pulpit door: but G. Fox told him, he would not go into it. And this steeple-house being very much painted, he told him and the people, that the painted beast had a painted house. Then he spoke to them concerning the rise of all those houses, and their superstitious ways; and he told them that, as the end of the apostles’ going into the temples and synagogues, was not to hold them up, but to bring people to Christ, the substance; so the end of his coming there, was not to hold up these temples, priests, and tithes, but to bring them off from all these things, to Christ, the substance. Moreover, he declared to them what the true worship was, which Christ had set up; and he distinguished Christ, the true way, from all the false ways; opening the parables to them, and turning them from darkness to the true light, that by it they might see themselves and their sins, and Christ their Saviour, that so believing in him, they might be saved from their sins.
After this, he went to the house of one Birdet, where he had a great meeting, and the priest Boyes accompanied him still, leaving his steeple-house. Then he returned towards Cranswick, to Captain Pursloe’s, and Justice Hotham’s, who received him kindly, being glad that truth was spread, and so many had received it. And Justice Hotham said, ‘If God had not raised up this principle of light and life, which G. Fox preached, the nation had been overrun with Ranterism, and all the justices in the nation could not have stopped it with all their laws: because, (said he,) they would have said as we said, and done as we commanded, and yet have kept their old principle still: but this principle of truth overthrows their principle, and the root and ground thereof.’
Now, though G. Fox found good entertainment, yet he did not settle there, but kept in continual motion, going from one place to another, to beget souls unto God. I do not intend to relate all his occurrences, but will give a short hint only of some of the chief.
Coming then towards night into Patrington, he walked through the town, and meeting the priest in the street, he warned both him and the people to repent, and turn to the Lord. And people gathering about him, he declared to them the word of life, directing them to the inward word, viz. the light wherewith they are enlightened. Going afterwards to an inn, for it was dark, he desired lodging, but it was denied him: then he asked for a little meat, or milk, offering to pay for it; but this also was refused him. Being thus put off, he walked out of the town, and some rude fellows following, asked him, ‘What news?’ To which his answer was, ‘Repent, and fear the Lord.’ After he was gone a pretty way out of the town, he came to another house, where he desired to have some meat, drink, and lodging, for his money, but they would not suffer him to stay there: then he went to another house, but met with the like refusal. By this time it was grown so dark, that he could not see the highway, but perceiving a ditch, he found a little water, and so refreshed himself. Then he got over the ditch, and being weary, sat down amongst the furze bushes, till it grew day; and then he arose, and passing on through the fields, a man came after him with a pike-staff, and went along with him to a town, where he raised the people, with the constable and chief constable, before the sun was up. G. Fox seeing the multitude, warned them of the day of the Lord that was coming upon all sin and wickedness, and exhorted them to repent. But they laying hold on him, carried him back to Patrington, and guarded him with halberts, pikes, staves, &c. Being come to the said town, all was in an uproar; and the priest and constables consulting together what to do with him, he took that opportunity to exhort the people to repentance, and to preach the word of life to them. At last a discreet man called him into his house, where he got some milk and bread, not having eaten for some days before. Then he was carried about nine miles to a justice; and when he was come near his house, there came a man riding after, and asked him whether he was the man that was apprehended. G. Fox asking him, why? the other said, ‘For no hurt.’ Then he told him, he was; and so the man rode away to the justice.
Now the men that guarded G. Fox, said, it would be well, if the justice was not drunk when they came to him, because he used to be drunk early, G. Fox being brought in before him, and not putting off his hat, and saying thou to him, the justice asked the man that rode thither before, whether he was not mazed or fond? But the man said, ‘No: it is his principle so to behave himself.’ G. Fox, who was unwilling to let any opportunity slip, without admonishing people to virtue, warned the justice to repent, and bid him come to the light which Christ had enlightened him with, that by it he might see all his evil words and actions, and so return to Christ Jesus, whilst he had time, and that he ought to prize that time. ‘Aye, aye,’ said he, ‘the light that is spoken of in the third of John.’ G. Fox desired him that he would mind it, and obey it; and laying his hand upon him, he was so brought down by the Lord’s power, that all the watchmen stood amazed. Then he took G. Fox with him into a parlour, with the other men, and desired to see what he had in his pockets, of letters, or intelligence; for it seems they suspected him to be an enemy to the Commonwealth. Then he pulled out his linen, and showed that he had no letters; which made the justice say, ‘He is not a vagrant, by his linen.’ and set him at liberty. Then G. Fox went back to Patrington again, with that man who had rid before to the justice, and who lived in that town. Coming to his house, he desired G. Fox to go to bed, or to lie down upon it; which he did, that they might say, they had seen him in a bed, or upon a bed; for there was a report, that he would not lie on any bed, raised doubtless, because about that time he had lain often without doors.
When the First-day of the week was come, he went to the steeple-house, and declared the doctrine of Truth to the priest and people, without being molested. Then presently after, he had a great meeting at that man’s house where he lay, and many were convinced that day of the truth he preached; and they were exceeding sorry that they had not given him lodging when he was there before. From thence he travelled through the country, warning people, both in towns and in country villages, to repent, and turn to Christ Jesus their teacher.
On a First-day of the week he came to one colonel Overton’s house, and had a great meeting of the chief of the people of that country; where he opened many things out of the Scriptures, which they never heard before. Coming afterwards again to Patrington, he understood that a tailor and some wild blades in that town, had occasioned his being carried before the justice. This tailor came to ask him forgiveness, fearing he would complain of him; the constables also were afraid lest he should trouble them; but he forgave them all, and exhorted them to turn to the Lord, and to amend their lives. Now that which made them the more afraid, was, that he having been not long before in the steeple-house at Oram, there came a professor that gave him a push on the breast, and bid him get out of the church. To which G. Fox said, ‘Dost thou call the steeple-house the church? The church is the people, whom God hath purchased with his blood, and not the house.’ But justice Hotham having heard of this man’s thus abusing G. Fox, sent a warrant, and bound the said man over to the sessions. So zealous was this justice to keep the peace, that he had asked G. Fox before, whether any people had abused him: but he esteeming it his duty to forgive all, told him nothing of that kind.
From Patrington he went to several great men’s houses, warning them to repent. Some received him lovingly, and some slighted him. Passing thus through the country, at night he came to another town, where he desired lodging and meat, offering to pay for it; but they would not lodge him, unless he went to a constable to ask leave, which they said was the custom of strangers. But he told them, that custom was for suspected persons, and not for such as he, who was an innocent man. So after he had warned them to repent, and to mind the day of their visitation, and directed them to the light of Christ, and Spirit of God, he passed away. As it grew dark, he spied a hay-stack, and went and sat under it till morning. The next day he came to Hull, where he admonished the people to turn to Christ Jesus, that they might receive salvation. And being very weary with travelling on foot so far, he got that night a lodging there.